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A.M.U(»jo^ 


Frontispiece 


CLEANING OUT THE DRAWER 


Page 82 





LASSIE AND LADDIE 


A STORY FOR LITTLE LADS AND LASSIES 


BY 

MARY D. BRINE 

Author of “Grandma’s Attic Treasures,” “Dan,” “ My Margaret,” etc. 



IN THE GARDEN. Page 57 

NEW YORK 

E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 


31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET 


01 - /9 293 



\ 


TKt'LTBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

JUL. 23 1902 

Copyright entry 

CMx.+v-. '*?<*- ' 

CIWSS ^XXo. No. 

3/F&G, 

COPY B. 


Copyright 

E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 
1902 


Published, September, 1902 


ice co 


* • © 

® « 
•«* 


■Cbc Iknicfterbocfcer press, IRew jpork 



CONTENTS 


CHAP. PAGE 


I. 

THE BIRTHDAY .... 


I 

II. 

THE PRESENT ON ITS WAY. 

o 

8 

III. 

THE ARRIVAL .... 

9 

*9 

IV. 

THE WALK TO THE POST-OFFICE 

• 

28 

V. 

ANOTHER EXPERIENCE 

• 

40 

VI. 

THE “THANKFUL DINNER ” 

• 

47 

VII. 

A HAY RIDE .... 

O 

56 

VIII. 

LADDIE’S LETTER — CLOUDS 

• 

7 i 

IX. 

THE FIRST “BED-TIME STORY”. 

• 

85 

X. 

THE “FRESH- AIR” CHILDREN 

• 

95 

XI. 

THE POEM, THE SONG, AND THE STORY. 

106 

XII. 

FARMER JONES AGAIN 


122 

XIII. 

ANOTHER BED-TIME STORY . 

• 

132 

XIV. 

FUN FOR THE “ FRESH- AIRS ’ ’ 

• 

141 

XV. 

laddie’s “fly-away day” 

• 

T 54 


iii 


Contents 


iv 

CHAP. PAGE 

XVI. AT THE “BED-HOUR” . . . 173 

XVII. WHAT LADDIE FOUND IN THE BUSHES 185 
XVIII. VARIOUS HAPPENINGS . . . 198 

XIX. THE “ FRESH-AIRS ” AGAIN . . 207 

XX. laddie’s “good-bye days” . . 216 

XXI. ABOUT A SCENE IN NAPLES . . 230 

xxii. “good-bye!” . . . .237 




ILLUSTRATIONS 


cleaning out the drawer Frontispiece 
in the garden . . . Title-Page 

THE “ BIRTHDAY PRESENT ” COMES 
THE CROSS OLD TURKEY-GOBBLER . 

THE GRAND CANAL AND CAMPANILE 
GONDOLA REGATTA ON THE GRAND CANAL . 
PIGEONS IN THE SQUARE . . 

SWISS VILLAGE ...... 

THE U FLY-AWAY DAY ” . . . . 

MILK-WAGON IN HOLLAND . 

DOGGIE IN THE HOSPITAL .... 

AN IRISH FARMHOUSE 


PAGE 

82 

57 

18 

42 


y 

y 

y 

y 


86 t/ 



166 1 / 
174 y 

190 
202 . 




IN NAPLES 


V 


234 












V 











LASSIE AND LADDIE 


CHAPTER I 

THE BIRTHDAY 

IT was a very beautiful day in August. 
* The clock in the village church steeple 
had just chimed out the half-hour after 
three, when a dear little blue-eyed girl 
came out upon the porch of a pretty cot- 
tage and stood there a moment as though 
listening for some expected sound, while 
the breezes blew her golden hair about 
her sweet, sunny little face. She wore a 
dainty blue cambric dress trimmed with 
white. Her broad-brimmed shade hat 
hung by its ribbons from her arm (it was 


Lassie and Laddie 


2 

very seldom found upon her head), and a 
very pretty picture she made, this dear 
little girl of whom I am going to write. 

In each rosy cheek a little dimple nes- 
tled, and now and then a tiny one peeped 
out of the “ prettiest little chin in the 
world ” — at least that is what a certain 
mamma used to call it. 

Lassie stood on the porch a moment, 
and then, with a hop, skip, and jump, she 
reached the gate which opened out upon 
the roadway, and in a trice had perched 
herself on the broad, flat top of one of the 
gate-posts. 

Seated there, she pulled her hat from 
her shoulders and, swinging it around by 
the ribbons, began to sing in a happy little 
voice, keeping time also by kicking her 
small heels against the post with as much 
energy as her good spirits prompted. The 
song was quite original with little Lassie, 
and the words were rather monotonous, 
but they expressed Lassie’s state of com- 


The Birthday 


3 


plete happiness, and there was nobody at 
hand to criticise. 

To be sure, a dear, loving mamma, busy 
in an upstairs room of the cottage, heard 
the little voice, and thought it the sweet- 
est music she could hear ; and the nice old 
darkey, Tom, who had been hired to split 
wood and was busily at work in the wood- 
shed at that moment, also heard the little 
shrill tones which rang so cheerily out on 
the air, and his criticism was also a kindly 
one, for he “ reckoned little Miss was 
mighty happy on dat birfday o’ hern, bress 
her teenty hairt ! ” 

So Lassie sang on, and meanwhile the 
beautiful sky overhead was sending its 
sunbeams down to frolic and dance over 
the fields and meadows and make every- 
thing as golden and bright and happy as 
could be. 

Merry little butterflies chased each 
other about amongst the daisies and the 
fragrant tangles along the roadside, and 


4 


Lassie and Laddie 


happy birds flew here and there in the 
tree-tops and warbled out the joyousness 
of their own glad little hearts, just as Las- 
sie was doing on top of her gate-post. 

Never, never had Lassie, so she said to 
herself, seen such a “ perfeckly be-^?w-tiful 
day!” Never had the sun shone just in 
that goldenly way, and she was certain 
she had never felt such soft little breezes 
blowing on her nor smelled such sweet, 
lovely smells in the air before this special 
day ! She looked over at the hills beyond 
the fields and the woods, and was sure as 
could be that she had never seen those 
dear little cloud-shadows playing tag up 
and down the hillsides as she saw them 
to-day , and, in fact, she believed this extra 
beautiful day of sunbeams and sweet 
smells and lovely sounds and happy sights 
had been made on purpose for her birth- 
day. 

Well, now, why was it that little Lassie 
(whose real name, I will tell you here, 


The Birthday 


5 


was Katherine Kearney) was so wonder- 
fully happy on this particular afternoon, 
and seemed to see everything about her 
in a way somewhat different from usual ? 
This is why. 

At seven o’clock in the morning of that 
day, our little girl had ceased to be “ going 
on seven'' and had actually reached the 
full figure, and was a full-fledged seven- 
year-older at last. 

At breakfast time Mamma had whis- 
pered a little news in her ear (which until 
then had been a secret plan of Mamma’s 
very own), and Lassie had danced up and 
down with delight, and had declared over 
and over that what Mamma had told her 
was coming as a birthday present was 
the bestest, the loveliest, and most wel- 
come thing that could have been given 
her. 

It was coming on the stage which jour- 
neyed to and fro between the large hotel 
of the village and the railroad station, and 


6 


Lassie and Laddie 


it would be due at the Kearney cottage 
about four o’clock. 

No wonder Lassie had been excited all 
day, up to this particular time, and was 
now, with her dear little heart overflowing 
with joy, keeping a sharp lookout for the 
coming of that stage, and helping the 
time to pass more quickly by singing it 
away so merrily. You may be wondering 
what that birthday present was to be, no 
doubt, but you will find that out in the 
next chapter. 

“Oh, I am so glad! Oh, I am so 
glad! My dearest present is coming!" 
sang Lassie, her little heels pounding the 
gate-post, and her clear, piping tones ris- 
ing high and higher in the air. 

A little colony of black ants which were 
building their houses at the foot of the 
post were so scared at the shaking about 
their foundations that they scurried away 
out of sight, and the birdies on the bough 
of the old elm tree above Lassie’s head 


The Birthday 


7 


stopped their own concert to listen to the 
music which floated up to their wee little 
ears. 

“Oh, I am so glad! Oh, I am so — ” 
Hark! the sound of wheels! Lassie’s 
voice was hushed and she leaned forward 
to listen. 

Yes, oh, yes, she surely heard the sound 
of wheels and the beating of horses’ hoofs 
upon the road ! 




CHAPTER II 

THE PRESENT ON ITS WAY 

TIE sat in the upper corner of the rick- 
A ety old stage, which bounced and 
rumbled over the uneven highway en 
route from the station to the village be- 
yond. His name was “ Laddie” — though 
he had been christened James Lee. But 
“ Laddie Lee” had seemed to the dear 
old Scotch nurse (who had loved him 
“ like he was her ain bairnie ”) to be the 
better name for the bonny boy-baby she 
had been called to care for, and “ Laddie” 
he was called to this day, by Papa, 
Mamma, and all who knew and loved him. 

He wore a brown linen suit of short 
jacket and knickerbockers, with a broad 


The Present on its Way 9 

white collar turned back from his smooth 
throat, and a Scotch plaid tie under his 
chin. A little Scotch cap rested lightly 
on his brown curly head, and a pair of 
dark eyes, shaded by long dark lashes, 
were glancing eagerly through the open 
windows of the coach from one side of the 
road to the other and along the distance 
of dusty travel before him. 

The few other passengers in the coach, 
noticing his clear skin and oval-shaped 
face, the pretty, innocent mouth with its 
sweet expression, and the general attrac- 
tiveness of the little fellow, were calling 
him in their hearts “ a bonny boy,” as in- 
deed he was. And this, my dear little 
readers, was the “ birthday present ” for 
which Lassie on the gate-post had so 
long been keeping watch, and was still 
waiting and singing for, — as not yet had 
the rumble of the stage wheels reached 
her ears. 

Laddie thought it a very long time 


IO 


Lassie and Laddie 


indeed since his father had put him in 
charge of the train conductor that morn- 
ing, and asked that he should be safely 
turned over to the driver of the Whitford 
stage to be deposited finally at the 
Kearney cottage, where a dear auntie 
and little cousin were awaiting him. He 
was getting very tired, and he considered 
it full time the long, “ bumpity ” ride was 
finished. His view from the end window, 
next to which he was sitting, was con- 
stantly interrupted by the big, stout- 
booted leg which belonged to the big, 
stout driver, and which was constantly 
hanging down from the box seat, and 
swinging back and forth before Laddie’s 
eyes. But he could bear that far better 
than he could endure to see the driver’s 
long whip continually flicking and swish- 
ing over the backs and sides of the tired 
old bony nags, as they tried to get a gait 
somewhat faster than their ability allowed. 
He hated to see anything cruel, and Lad- 


The Present on its Way 1 1 

die thought it very cruel indeed for a man 
to be always whipping his horses. 

So at last he turned his eyes away, and 
looked at the view from the opposite 
window, shifting himself with a tired little 
sigh in his seat. A good-natured old 
farmer sitting beside him laid a kind, 
brawny hand on Laddie’s knee, and said, 
“Well, sonny, you’re gittin’ ’bout as 
tired ’s / be, ain’t ye ? ” 

Laddie’s cheeks dimpled. “ I don’t 
know how tired you are, sir, so maybe 
I’m tireder 'n you,” he replied, for Lad- 
die was a sociable little fellow and always 
ready with replies to questions. The 
farmer laughed, and gave Laddie’s little 
knee rather a too energetic pat. 

“ Wal’, I'm tired enough to want to 
git home to my farm mighty quick,” said 
he, “an’ that’s about your case, I reckon. 
Where ye bound, sonny ? ” 

“ I ’m going to visit my Auntie and my 
cousin Lassie, sir,” replied the little boy, 


12 


Lassie and Laddie 


and then he went on to explain that as 
his Auntie had only been living in Whit- 
ford a year, this was his first visit to the 
village, and he did n’t know where the cot- 
tage was, but he hoped the driver would 
get there soon, ’ cause he was sure Lassie 
would be waiting and waiting for him. 

“An’ what may your name be, sonny?” 
continued the farmer. 

“ My name is ‘ Laddie ’ mostly, but 
when I ’m not a good boy my Mamma 
and Papa say ‘ J ames Lee ’ to me, in a 
very sober voice.” 

The passengers laughed at Laddie’s 
frank little speech, and the farmer gave 
him another vigorous pat, which made 
Laddie move a little away from the strong 
hand, though it was only kind in its inten- 
tions, you know. 

“ So your cousin is, ‘ Lassie,’ and you 
are ‘ Laddie,’ ” laughed the talkative old 
farmer. “ That ’s a pretty pair o ’ names, 
surely.” 


The Present on its Way 13 

“ Well, you see, Auntie lived next door 
to my Mamma, and Lassie came to live 
on this earth one week after / came, — I 
know all ’bout it, ’cause Mamma ’s told 
me, you see, — and when they called me 
‘ Laddie ,’ they called my little girl-cousin 
‘ Lassie ’ — ’cause we came to our mam- 
mas so near together, and we ’ve always 
played together, and loved each other, 
same as if we were right in one family. 
Oh, I did miss Lassie so, when she and 
Auntie moved away and came here ! 
Her real name is Katherine Kearney,” 
he added, “ and when she ’s naughty, I 
s ’pose her mamma says ‘ Kath 'rine ’ to 
her in a sober way, same as mine does.” 

A sweet-faced lady, dressed in mourn- 
ing, sat on the opposite side of the coach, 
and she had been watching and smiling 
at Laddie during his conversation with 
the man. But her smile had been partly 
a sad one, and if any one had looked 
closely at her, the tears in her soft gray 


14 


Lassie and Laddie 


eyes would have told that some sad 
memory was in her heart. 

Presently she beckoned to Laddie, and 
in an instant he was at her side. 

She was sitting apart from the few other 
passengers in the coach, so that her talk 
with the little boy was not wholly audible 
to others. She took his small hand in 
her own, as she said, “ Laddie dear, 
once I had a little son about your age — 
how old are you, dear ? ” 

“ I was seven a week ago — and Lassie, 
she ’s seven to-day — just this very day ; 
and I ’m her birthday present, you see. 
Oh, it’s going to be great fun for us!” 

His brown eyes sparkled, and his dim- 
ples came and went, as he stood before 
the lady and told her how his Auntie 
had sent for him to come as a “ birthday 
present,” which would please Lassie more 
than anything her mother could give her 
in the way of toys and other gifts. 

And the lady smiled in sympathy with 


The Present on its Way 15 

his joy and kept his little plump hand in 
hers, as he chattered on. 

Then he remembered her first remark, 
and asked her where her little boy was 
then. 

Her smile became a sad one again, as 
she explained that her son had been taken 
ill, and that God had called his dear young 
soul to dwell in heaven with the angels, 
just as he was entering upon his eighth 
year. “He had had his birthday and 
such a merry one,” continued the lady, 
“ and I suffered a great deal when I 
realized that I never could hear his gay 
little voice again. But you look very 
like him, Laddie,” added she, as she 
patted the little hand she held, “ for you 
have the same brown in your eyes, 
and the same brown in your curly hair, 
and that wee dimple in your chin is so 
like my boy ’s that if there were n ’t so 
many here to see me, I believe I would 
kiss you there just as I used to kiss him.” 


1 6 Lassie and Laddie 

Laddie laughed, “/wouldn’t mind,” 
said he, “ cause I like you ! ” 

“Well then, you’ll kiss me for good- 
bye, won ’t you, when you leave the 
stage ? ” she asked, and Laddie agreed. 

“ / know who looked like me ! ” said 
Laddie, “ and that ’s Uncle Jamie / Did 
your little boy look like him f ” 

“ I could answer your question better if 
I were to meet your Uncle, dear. Will 
you tell me about him ? ” 

“ Why, yes, ma’am ; he ’s Lassie’s papa,” 
explained Laddie, “and Mamma named 
me for him ; but you can’t ever see him, 
neither can anybody in the world, any 
more, for once he was very sick, and the 
doctor tried and tried and could nt make 
him well. So he went to live in heaven, 
you know, and then Auntie moved here, 
and we all miss him very much. Please, 
ma’am, will you tell me where you live? 
I think, if you won’t mind, I can go and 
see you, and take Lassie.” 


The Present on its Way 17 

“ That will please me very much, Laddie. 
You walk a little distance beyond the post- 
office till you see a gray cottage set back 
from the road, and a lawn before it, where 
a fountain is playing. I shall be very 
glad to see you, and my name is Mrs. 
Spencer.” 

“Thank you,” said Laddie; “we’ll be 
sure to find you, ma’am, and I ’m glad I 
look like your little boy. I guess maybe 
he ’n my Uncle Jamie know that even if 
they are n’t living here any more we keep 
on loving ’em just the same, and they love 
us, too, don’t you think so ?” 

“ I think you are a dear little fellow ! ” 
she replied, smiling at his earnest face. 
Just then — “ Hi, there, you small passen- 
ger, yonder ’s the Kearney cottage ! Git 
ready to hop lively when I call whoa ! ” 
called the driver through the window. 

It was at this time that Lassie, you re- 
member, was pricking up her little ears at 
the sound of the rumble of wheels and of 


Lassie and Laddie 


hoof-beats, and as the stage turned the 
corner of the road and came into sight, 
she was endeavoring to slide down from 
the post, and calling frantically to mamma 
to come quick, for her little skirt had 
caught on a nail, and she was neither on 
the post nor on the ground, but hanging 
awkwardly between, and was released from 
that condition just as the old stage came 
bouncing along to stop short before the 
gate. 




THE “BIRTHDAY PRESENT” COMES, 


Page 1 8 




















































































\ 


































































































































































































■ 

















CHAPTER III 


THE ARRIVAL 


ADDIE’S head was out the window 



of the coach even before it stopped, 
and his clear voice was ringing out, “ Lassie ! 
Lassie ! I see you ! here I am, Lassie ! ” 
as the little girl was being released from 
the nail in the gate-post. Then, as at last 
she was free to run out upon the road and 
to the stage door, Laddie jumped out and 
they flew into each other’s arms with a 
hug and a shout which rang far and wide. 
But suddenly Laddie remembered his 
promise to his new acquaintance, who was 
watching him wistfully, but had no thought 
of reminding him of her previous request. 
He turned and stood again upon the steps 


19 


20 


Lassie and Laddie 


of the coach, and leaned forward to the 
lady as she sat beside the door. 

“ My gladness nearly made me forget 
my promise,” he said, “but I’m glad I 
remembered right away, ’cause I ’m glad 
to kiss you, I like you so very much.” 
H is soft little lips touched hers, and then 
with a “ good-bye ” to the other passen- 
gers, he hopped off the steps, just as the 
driver flourished his whip and started the 
tired horses on the rest of their journey. 
“ Good-bye, sonny ! ” called the old farmer, 
putting his head out the window and wav- 
ing his red cotton handkerchief. “ Good- 
bye ! I ’ll see ye agin somehow, I reckon ; 
good-bye to ye ! ” 

Meantime the little cousins, arms around 
each other and faces beaming like the 
sunbeams all about them, were skipping 
up the path between the gate and the 
cottage porch, where Auntie stood with 
outstretched arms to welcome the small 
visitor, while Lassie cried : “ O Laddie, 


The Arrival 


21 


Laddie Lee! I’m so glad! You’re the 
very bestest and very loveliest present in 
the world ! ” They hugged each other 
again and danced around the porch and 
into the hall, where the tidy maid-of-all- 
work was waiting to carry Laddie’s little 
dress-suit case — all his very own, and 
marked with his name in good plain let- 
ters — up-stairs to the pretty, small room 
Mamma had prepared for him. 

Up the stairs scampered Lassie and 
Laddie, while Mamma followed with a 
glass of milk and a sandwich for the little 
traveller, who would be sure to want 
something, even though, as she knew, he 
had had a substantial luncheon on the 
train, according to papa’s instructions to 
the conductor. And while he was eating 
his sandwich and drinking his milk, he 
did as much talking, in answer to Lassie’s 
chattering tongue, as a boy conveniently 
could with his small mouth full of bread 
and chicken. 


22 


Lassie and Laddie 


He told about his car-journey, the 
things he had seen and got tired of see- 
ing, and of how he had been so thirsty 
that he went to the drinking-tank, and, 
after drinking, had forgotten to turn the 
faucet back, and the water had overflowed 
the tray and made a big puddle on the 
car floor, and the porter had been so fu- 
rious that he yelled at him before all the 
people, and a gentleman had told the por- 
ter to be silent, and a kind lady had told 
him (Laddie) not to cry, “ ’cause he had 
been so ’shamed he almost did cry and 
of how the conductor had by and by 
sent him a lot of nice lunch, and he ate 
all he could and threw the rest out the 
window to some nice little dogs on a 
street the train was passing ; and how 
pretty soon he fell asleep, and pretty soon 
after that the conductor told him there 
was the stage, and took him out of the car 
and told the big driver on the stage to 
leave him at Mis’ Kearney’s, and — and — 


The Arrival 


2 3 


here he was! And then he remembered 
he had n’t told about the stage-ride. So 
he drank some more milk, took the last 
bite of his sandwich, as he sat on the edge 
of his little bed, swinging his black-stock- 
inged legs back and forth and hurrying to 
swallow the end of his sandwich, and 
again began his story. He told how the 
stage bumped and how he wanted to be a 
man, so ’s he could beat the big driver, 
who kept whipping his horses ; and he 
told about the nice old brown farmer who 
kept patting him on his knee so hard that 
it hurt, and he wished the man would n’t 
do it, but he did n’t think it would be po- 
lite to tell him so; he told about the sweet 
lady — oh, she was such a pretty lady! — 
who talked to him so gently and told him 
he looked like her dear little boy who had 
died. He told his Auntie he wished he 
could see that sweet lady again, ’cause he 
almost loved her, she was so sweet and 
had such a lot of music in her voice. Oh! 


24 


Lassie and Laddie 


it was such a different kind of voice from 
the old farmer’s, and he liked it better; 
though the farmer had a lot of laugh in 
his voice that made him quite nice to talk 
to. And finally he put down his plate 
and his glass and, running over to Auntie, 
threw his little arms about her and said 
he was so glad to be with her and Lassie, 
and he had promised Mamma solermy — 
oh! very solermy, indeed — that he would 
be a good boy and mind every word she 
said. 

Then Auntie kissed him all over again 
and gave him a squeeze, and left him to 
chatter all he wanted to with Lassie, while 
she went down-stairs to attend to some 
duties. 

What a cozy little cottage it was that 
Lassie and Mamma were entertaining 
their small visitor in! Once Mrs. Kearney, 
when Lassie’s papa was living, had been 
mistress of a fine large house; but when 
the dear papa died, there had been troubles 


The Arrival 


25 


in many ways, and not so much money, 
you see, as before, and so the mother and 
her little daughter had found it pleasanter 
to come to this dear little cottage home ; 
and here they had every comfort, and 
all Mammas pretty pictures and dainty 
things about the rooms, and, best of all, 
the beautiful “ outdoor pictures” of hills 
and meadows and trees and sunshine 
and pretty cloud - shadows, and all the 
lovely out-of-door scenes which people who 
live in the country can enjoy so freely. 
Lassie thought her little home the dearest 
place in the world, and now that she had 
her Laddie with her again, no little girl 
on earth was happier than she. 

Well, suddenly Laddie remembered 
that he had promised his Mamma not only 
to be a good boy, but to write her a pos- 
tal card as soon as he could, so that she 
might know by the next day that he had 
arrived safely at his Auntie's home. Hand 
in hand they went down the stairs and 


26 


Lassie and Laddie 


told Auntie about it, and she provided him 
with the card and pen and ink. 

Now both Laddie and Lassie had been 
to kindergarten before Lassie left the 
city, and had learned to write as well as 
could be expected of such little people, 
and they could read readily as well, and 
in fact they were quite as clever (and 
that means considerable) as any little up- 
to-date people of seven years ought to be. 

So Laddie sat at his Auntie’s desk, and 
began to write, his little red tongue peep- 
ing out and in from his lips — after a 
fashion some small people have when 
writing, you know — and his pen moving 
slowly and carefully over the card as he 
formed his rounded letters and composed 
his lines, while auntie sat by and helped 
him spell every word correctly. 

When he had finished, he handed the 
card to her and this is what she read. 

“ Dear Mamma : I ’ve come, and I ’m 
glad, and it ’s nice to be with Auntie and 


The Arrival 


2 7 


Lassie. I love them, but I love you and 
Papa best, ’cause I ought to. The wind 
smells sweet here. I ’m being good so 
I ’m being glad. Good-bye, from your 

“ Laddie.” 

“That is very nicely written, Laddie,” 
said his Auntie ; “ and now if you and 
Lassie will take this to the post-office it 
will go to New York in the evening train 
and Mamma will have it in the morning. 
It is only half-past four now and you ’ll 
have a nice walk before supper-time.” 




CHAPTER IV 

THE WALK TO THE POST-OFFICE 

QO they started off merrily, skipping 
^ along the road, and talking fast as 
their little tongues could wag. Laddie 
was just overflowing with joy and the 
sense of unusual freedom which the sight 
of the green fields and the beauty of the 
entire landscape gave him. 

“ Oh, how nice it is ! ” he exclaimed, 
“and how jolly it smells ! I wish I had a 
bigger nose so ’s I could get more nice 
smells in it.” He wrinkled his nose as he 
spoke and “sniffed” loudly. 

“ That is n’t the way to get smells in- 
side, if you want a lot of ’em,” cried Las- 
“You must do like this, see? Just 

28 


sie. 


The Walk to the Post-Office 29 

like this.” And she opened her mouth 
wide as possible, and drew in a long deep 
breath of sweet air. 

“ How do you know that ’s the right 
way ? ” asked Laddie. “ I never saw any 
one do like that.” 

“Well, anyway, mouths are bigger’n 
noses, and more sweet smells can get in- 
side of you so than just through little holes 
in the nose, you see.” 

Laddie decided that she was right about 
it — so his mouth stretched itself as far 
apart as its size would permit, and down 
into his throat went the “sweet smells” 
he craved. 

“There! now I feel sweet and nice in- 
side of me,” he said. “ And I tell you 
what, Lassie, I wish / lived in a place like 
this. It ’s more fun going to country 
post-offices than just to a lamp-post, ’n 
sticking letters in a slit in a box, you see, 
and I like walking on dirt better ’n hard 
stones, and I like seeing green things 


30 


Lassie and Laddie 


about on each side of me, lots and lots 
better than houses all the time.” 

“ I guess maybe you feel full, way up 
to your top, with a happy feeling, same 
as I do,” said Lassie. “ My feeling be- 
gan this morning when Mamma told me 
’bout your coming as my birthday present, 
and when it was time for me to sit on the 
gate-post and watch out for the stage, I 
nearly burst right in two with my glad- 
ness.” 

“ I felt something like that, when Mam- 
ma told me Auntie had sent for me, and 
when Papa put me on the train, why, 
I was so glad I was coming to see you , 
that I forgot to be homesick, and I s’pose 
little boys ought to be homesick when 
they ’re leaving their papas and mammas, 
don’t you ? But, truly and honestly, I ’m 
not homesick even yet, Lassie, and — and 
I would n’t be for the world! I guess not! ” 

He drew nearer Lassie, and put his arm 
over her shoulder as they walked along. 


The Walk to the Post-Office 31 


Presently Lassie said: “ Birthdays are 
such beautiful times, are n’t they, Lad- 
die?” 

“ Well, I guess they are,” he answered. 
11 You must be my birthday present next 
time. I don’t see why Mamma did n’t 
think of this kind of plan same as Auntie 
did. I only had a big cake with white 
shiny stuff on top, and seven big red 
roses all around it with some green vines, 
and some toys, and picture books, and — 
O, Lassie Kearney, the dress-suit case 
that Auntie sent me — you and Auntie 
together — was the bestest and the dear- 
est of all my presents ! Say, Lassie, don’t 
you b’lieve Auntie sent that on purpose 
’cause she had it all planned for my com- 
ing here to be a birthday present to 
you?” 

“ Why, I never thought of that before,” 
said the little girl. “ Course she did, and 
she was keeping that part of it a secret all 
the time. O, Laddie, Laddie Lee, is n’t 


32 


Lassie and Laddie 


my dear Mamma the very bestest, sweetest 
one in the world ? ” 

“Well, next to mine she is, but you 
know we must always think our very own 
mothers the best that ever could be, even 
— well, even if they did n’t really happen 
to be. But then, you know, our’s really 
and truly are , and — say, Lassie, I ’m not 
one bit homesick, but I do wish I could 
go and kiss Mamma just one little minute. 
I truly do! — Hark! I hear some boys, 
don’t you ? ” 

The sound of hearty boyish laughter 
came floating down that way, and the 
children quickened their steps. 

“ That ’s the hotel,” exclaimed Lassie, 
as they came in sight of a large white 
house which stood well back from the 
road, and was surrounded by noble trees 
and much shrubbery. From the tower 
of the building a flag was waving in 
the breezes, and Laddie managed to spell 
out the name of the hotel which was 


The Walk to the Post-Office 33 


given in large red letters on the flag. 
“ That ’s the Whitford,” repeated Las- 
sie, “and it ’s full of people all summer. 
I s’pose some of those people in the stage 
to-day were coming here. Some do ’bout 
every day.” 

“ The sweet lady was n’t,” replied Lad- 
die, “ nor the fat old farmer man, ’cause 
he was going to his farm, and the lady 
told me, you know, to bring you to her 
gray stone house, and she ’d be glad to 
see us. I did n’t care much ’bout the 
other people in that bumpity stage; they 
just sat still and did n’t do anything ’cept 
look out the windows. What are those 
boys doing? — see them.” 

The children stood at the gate entrance 
and watched a group of boys which had 
formed at one end of the lawn belonging 
to the hotel. 

Presently, with shouts of laughter, the 
boys separated/and one of them ran for- 
ward a little distance, stooped over, placing 


34 


Lassie and Laddie 


his hands on his knees, and bracing him- 
self as, one by one, the others ran and 
leaped over him. 

“ Oh, / know what that game is! ” said 
Laddie. “ I ’ve seen boys do it in the 
Park; it ’s real easy.” 

“ You ever do it, too ?” from Lassie. 

“ No-o, not exactly,” was the reluctant 
answer, “ but I ’ve always known I could 
if I ever wanted to.” 

They watched the boys at their game a 
little longer, and Laddie was more and 
more convinced that it was “ the easiest 
game that ever was.” He was seized 
with a great longing to do it himself, but 
of course he could n’t go and play with 
strange boys, and beside that, they were 
larger boys than he, and would n’t want 
him anyway even if he knew them. At 
last he could bear it no longer, so he 
turned to Lassie and asked if she would 
play the game with him. 

“It ’s called ‘leap-frog,’ and it ’s real 


The Walk to the Post-Office 35 


fun. Will you let me leap over you, 
Lassie ? Please do.” 

Lassie drew back. “ I don’t like that 
kind of game, ’’she said, “ and I don’t b’lieve 
you ’d do it right, anyway, Laddie Lee.” 

“ Oh, dear ! I most wish you were a 
boy ! ” sighed Laddie ; “ ’cause boys always 
do things ’thout being coaxed.” 

Lassie looked a trifle indignant. “ Well, 
/ don’t wish I were a boy,” she said ; “ not 
a truly boy, I mean; but I am a kind of a 
boy, anyhow, and if you don’t b’lieve me, 
just ask Mamma ’n see what she ’ll tell you 
I am. You just ask her! ” 

“No, I don’t want to wait and ask 
Auntie; you tell me yourself, ’cause there 
is n’t but one kind of a boy, and that ’s a 
— a boy , same as any boy you see around. 
So now ! ” 

“Yes there is,” laughed Lassie, who 
liked a little joke, and was a little joker in 
her way ; “ yes there is ! there are ‘ tom- 
boys,’ and that means girls that like doing 


36 


Lassie and Laddie 


boy things, and climbing trees, and do- 
ing careless things, and being noisy, and 
racing about tearing their dresses and 
things like that. Ah ha ! did n’t I tell you 
I was a kind of a boy ? Mamma tells me 
I’m her ‘Tomboy,’ oh, lots and lots and 
lots of times ! So now , Mr. Laddie Lee !” 

Laddie beamed all over his face. 
“Well then, if you are, I ’m going to love 
you heaps and heaps more ’n I do already, 
and we ’ll have ever so much more fun, 
won’t we. And now you ’ll play leap- 
frog, won’t you, ’cause that ’s just erzactly 
the kind of game Tomboys would like — 
if — if they ’re real Tomboys, I mean.” 

Lassie didn’t want to put her Tom- 
boy powers to any such test, but she did n’t 
want to be thought a coward, and so she 
tried to persuade Laddie that they ought 
to be going right on to the post-office to 
mail that card, and there would n’t be 
time to play any game at all. 

But Laddie reminded her that Auntie 


The Walk to the Post-Office 37 


said the mail did n’t go out till evening, 
and it was only a little bit of a while 
since they had left home. He coaxed 
her to “try the game just once,” and 
rather than let him know how really afraid 
she was, she finally consented, and they 
went up the road a little, where the boys 
could not see them. Then Lassie stooped 
over, and put her trembling little hands 
on her knees, as she had seen the boys do, 
and with a “ big scare ” hiding deep down 
in her heart she waited for Laddie’s leap. 

Well, I ’m sorry to have to say that the 
thing was what you children call “ no 
good." Laddie’s intentions were all right, 
and his confidence was unbounded, but 
for all that — he landed on Lassie’s back 
and carried her along with him in such 
haste that presently when they picked 
themselves up from the dust and took a 
good look at each other, poor little Las- 
sie showed a scratched cheek and a rent 
in her dress, and Laddie exhibited a hurt 


38 


Lassie and Laddie 


knee which was beginning to puff up, and 
a very red nose which had scraped itself 
on the gravelly road as he fell. 

Lassie looked at the rent in her dress 
with tears in her eyes. Possibly the 
tears were caused also by the smarting of 
her poor little cheek where the scratch 
showed red and sore. “ I don’t like, no, 
not one single bit, to play that horrid leap- 
toad!" she cried, “and I don’t b’lieve 
my Auntie Lee would like you to ever 
play such rude games, Laddie Lee ! ” 

Laddie sat down on a stone beside the 
road and rubbed his bruised knee as hard 
as he could, and then wiped a little blood 
off his nose with his handkerchief, for it 
was too bad, but the scratch was pretty 
deep, and would be sure, like Lassie’s 
poor cheek, to tell a sorry tale to Mamma 
by and by. 

“Well, you see, Lassie dear,” he pres- 
sently replied, “ you see you did n’t bend 
over low enough, and if you ’d only been a 


The Walk to the Post-Office 39 


real boy, ’stead of only a Tomboy, you ’d 
have known you were n’t bent over right.” 

“ I did bend over a lot,” said Lassie, 
“ much as it felt comf ’table to, but you 
do n’t truly know how to do the game 
right, and — and I sha’n’t ever in the world 
play such a horrid, hurting kind of a game 
as leap-toad again! So now!” 

“ ’ Tis n ’t ‘ leap -load,’ it ’s ‘ leap -frog ! ’ ” 
corrected Laddie, rubbing his knee still 
harder, and wishing he could cry a little 
bit without being a girl-boy, for his knee 
and his nose did hurt so! 

But he felt sorry for Lassie, too, and 
as in her heart she felt sorry for him, not- 
withstanding the fact that all her woes 
were caused by him, she freely forgave 
him, and presently they were going along 
the road to the post-office again, scratches, 
bruises, torn dress, and all, for that postal 
card in Laddie’s pocket must be mailed, 
crumpled and shabby as it had become 
by this time. 



CHAPTER V 

ANOTHER EXPERIENCE 

\\ THILE at the post-office, Lassie re- 
' ' membered that her mother had 
told her to give Laddie’s name to the post- 
master, so that when his Mamma wrote 
to him, the letter would be put safely 
into the Kearney box. 

She did so satisfactorily, and the post- 
master peered over his glasses at the lit- 
tle newcomer, remarking that “ he ’peared 
to be a likely chap,” and giving them 
each a stick of “ barber pole ” candy, told 
them to run away and let him sort his 
mail. 

So the children went homeward munch- 
ing their candy, and wondering whether 


40 


Another Experience 41 

the postmaster noticed the scratches on 
their faces. 

“ He ought to fast enough,” said Lassie, 
“ for he ’s got four eyes, you see, — two in 
his head ’n ’ two on his nose.” 

“ Are n’t you smart, Lassie Kearney ! ” 
cried Laddie. “ But I ’m glad he did n’t 
ask us ’bout things, anyway ; and I think 
it was very p ’lite of him not to, don’t 
you ? Hi-o ! my bump hurts , I can tell 
you ! ” 

“ So ’s my cheek ; it ’s aching hard ! 
Oh, what ’ll Mamma say ! ” said Lassie. 

“ I ’ll be ’shamed to tell Auntie you 
did n’t know how to play leap - frog,” 
laughed Laddie. 

Lassie tossed her golden head and 
sniffed, as though Laddie ’s speech were 
hardly worth noticing. But she could n’t 
allow him to think she felt at all humilia- 
ted over her failure in leap-frog, so she 
answered with much spirit: “Well, I'm 
not the leastest bit ’shamed ! I should be 


42 


Lassie and Laddie 


’shamed to let Mamma b’lieve I knew 
how to play such rude, hurting games, 
and — and ” 

At that moment an angry hiss startled 
the children and they turned around to 
find that a big, cross old turkey gobbler, 
resenting their approach, and not fancy- 
ing the red tie at Laddie ’s throat, had 
flown over a low stone wall at hand, and 
was ready for a fight. To say that Laddie 
and Lassie ran , would n’t half express the 
way in which they flew down the road, 
but not before Laddie ’s fat leg had re- 
ceived a sharp peck from the turkey ’s bill. 
Poor little chap ! he was badly frightened, 
and his dignity quite upset. He certainly 
had never dreamed that he would ever 
be running from a tur key gobbler , “ things ” 
he had often seen when in the country 
with his mother, and never had any occa- 
sion to be afraid of. 

But this was a great, cross, ugly old 
fellow who did n’t like the red in Lad- 



THE CROSS OLD TURKEY-GOBBLER 


Page 42 
























































X 
























































. 





























































































Another Experience 43 

die ’s tie, nor the red bow on Lassie ’s 
hat, and he wanted to show them how 
hard his bill was when he got a chance 
at a good peck of anything, no matter 
what. 

I ’m sure I do n’t know which ran the fast- 
er, Lassie or Laddie, but I know that they 
outran the gobbler, and he finally stalked 
back to the yard where his relations were 
peacefully eating corn, and feeling far 
happier without him than with him no 
doubt. 

When the little couple got home, Mam- 
ma looked at them in amazement. Their 
sweet little faces were bathed in perspira- 
tion ; Lassie ’s torn dress was hanging down 
on one side, her poor scratched cheek was 
looking pretty sore, and she had n’t gotten 
quite over her fright at the big gobbler. 
Laddie ’s brown eyes were full of tears, 
for the lump on his knee was pushing the 
stocking out by this time, and betraying 
the hurt very plainly, his poor little nose 


44 


Lassie and Laddie 


was really badly skinned, and he was 
feeling very miserable indeed, and very 
near to being a homesick little visitor in 
the bargain. 

“ Why, Laddie Lee ! Lassie Kearney ! ” 
exclaimed the astonished Mamma. “ Is 
this the way in which you come back from 
your walk ? What has gone wrong with 

yt 

you ? 

Then they told their tales of woe, tak- 
ing turns at the telling (because Mamma 
simply would n’t let them carry out their 
attempt to talk both at once, as they tried 
to) and confessing with great shame, and 
many blushes, how and why the game of 
leap-frog had been a failure. 

Then she sat down and laughed, ac- 
tually laughed at their plight, and though 
you may think it was a very unsympa- 
thetic thing for her to do, yet it was in 
reality the wisest plan, for if she had 
pitied them in words as she was pitying 
them in her heart, they would have gone 


Another Experience 45 

on pitying their own little selves to such 
a degree that very soon there would have 
been a big rain of tears, and sobs, and 
a regular gloomy time all around. But 
when Mamma made them see the funny 
side of the matter, and joked about it, 
even all the while she was bathing the 
wounds, and bringing comfort back again, 
why, of course, Laddie and Lassie began 
to laugh with her, and they made fun of 
each other for being afraid, and for run- 
ning away from “ only a turkey gobbler.” 

As for the torn dress ! there were other 
little gowns in a closet upstairs, and Mam- 
mas know how to mend rents in all sorts 
of little garments. 

So, after all, when supper was ready 
the trials and woes of the walk to and 
home from the post-office were forgotten, 
— though Laddie limped a little still, — and 
there were two very good appetites, even 
better ones than Mamma’s, to enjoy the 
nice supper. 


46 


Lassie and Laddie 


“When bed-time comes,” said Mamma, 
“ I ’ll tell you a story about a little girl I 
knew of, and what she did at a Thanks- 
giving dinner. I don’t believe I ’ve ever 
thought to tell you the story, Lassie, for 
all I ’ve told you so many.” 

That was good news for Lassie and 
Laddie, you may be sure, and they were 
quite ready when by and by the clock 
used its musical voice to tell them it was 
time for good-night. 

The little “ nighties ” were on at last, 
and the lame knee was bandaged, the 
scratches soothed with healing lotions, 
and the little prayers (which, I am glad 
to say, neither Lassie nor Laddie had 
ever omitted at night, nor in the morning, 
so long as they could remember, owing to 
the teachings of each dear mother) — the 
little prayers were softly repeated at Mam- 
ma’s knee, and then the pretty white beds 
received each its occupant, and the chil- 
dren were ready for the promised story. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE STORY ABOUT A “THANKFUL DINNER” 

I WILL explain here that Laddie’s small 
1 room opened out of the large room 
where Mamma slept on one side, and the 
little room which was Lassie’s own cun- 
ning “ cubby-hole,” as she called it, opened 
out of Mamma’s on the other side. So 
when both her midgets were in bed at 
last, Mamma seated herself in the very 
centre of her own room and began her 
story. 

“ But first I want you to promise me,” 
she said, “to shut your little claptraps the 
moment you say good-night to me, and 
not talk to each other the least little bit 
after I have gone down-stairs, for you 
47 


48 


Lassie and Laddie 


are both tired out and must go right to 
sleep.” 

They promised readily enough, and so 
the story was begun. It was called “ The 
Thankful Dinner,” which was what the 
little girl in the story called it. 

“ Once on a time,” said Mamma, “there 
was a little girl named Kathie, whose 
grandma and grandpa lived in the coun- 
try on a farm. She was only between 
four and five years old when she went 
one Thanksgiving time, with her Mamma 
and Papa, to stay a few days at the farm, 
where she was sure to have a beautiful 
time, and be petted and spoiled, as she 
always had been, by that dear old grandpa 
and grandma. 

“Well, on Thanksgiving Day they had 
a fine dinner. A big, bouncing turkey 
and cranberry sauce, and celery and all 
sorts of nice vegetables, and then a splen- 
did big pudding, and pies and nuts and 
raisins, and — oh, everything that was 


A “ Thankful Dinner ” 


49 


necessary to make a rousing good sort of 
Thanksgiving dinner ! ” 

Just here Laddie couldn’t help inter- 
rupting : “ Goody ! tell you what ! that 
makes a boy hungry right off ! ” 

“ Yes,” chimed in Lassie, “ I ’d just like 
some of those nuts ’n’ raisins this minute. 
Go on, Mamma darling, it ’s a lovely story 
so far.” 

“ Well, little Kathie was allowed to 
have a share of all that was good for such 
a little girl, you know, and finally the din- 
ner was finished. There had been other 
company at that dinner besides Kathie 
and her father and mother, and while they 
were still at the table, Kathie had been 
excused and allowed to put on her warm 
coat and hat and play out of doors. 
So when the dinner was done, and the 
grown-up people were talking and laugh- 
ing together and making a fine noise in 
the parlor, little Kathie, who had felt 
sorry for the hens and chickens which 


50 


Lassie and Laddie 


were picking and pecking for a “ Thank- 
ful dinner” out of the cold ground (she 
was a very tender-hearted little thing, 
you must know), made a plan in her 
heart which she was sure was a good one, 
and must be acted upon at once. So she 
went into the kitchen to see the woman 
who cooked for grandma — but there was 
nobody at all in the kitchen, for the cook 
had gone up to her room to get some- 
thing, and nobody else was anywhere 
near. 

“ But on the table, where cook had 
placed them until she could come down 
and clear things away, were the remains of 
the turkey and the jellies and the gravy, 
and so forth. 

“ What did Kathie do then, do you 
think ? She got a plate and put some 
loose pieces of turkey on it, and some 
bones which had been partly picked, and 
she dipped some gravy out on the pile, 
and then she added some jelly, and po- 


A “ Thankful Dinner 


5i 


tatoes, and put a kitchen towel over it all 
and scampered as fast as her little legs 
would let her, back to the barn, and spread- 
ing the towel on the barn floor, she set 
the large plate and its contents in the 
middle of it. Then she ran out and 
“ shooed ” all the hens and the chickens 
she could find into the barn, and put 
Rover in with them, while she brought 
the cat from the woodshed, and the three 
baby-cats besides, and finally got the en- 
tire family of pets in the barn together. 
By using all her little strength — and for- 
tunately the task was n’t very hard — she 
got the barn doors closed, shutting her- 
self inside with the other Thanksgiving 
guests. 

“ By that time the doggie had eaten a 
good share of the feast, of course, and 
pussy, who wanted a share, arched her 
back and spit at him, and tried to drive 
him away, and the hens and the half- 
grown chickens, frightened at the growl- 


52 


Lassie and Laddie 


ing and yowling and fighting of the dog 
and cat, squawked loud as they could, and 
flew about the barn trying to get out, 
while the baby-cats mewed louder than 
they ever had before in their lives. Then 
Rover — with his feet all gravy and jelly 
— had a little fun chasing the hens, and 
made them squawk more than ever, and 
pussy, distracted between her desire for a 
good meal and her anxiety about her 
mewing kittens, raced back and forth like 
a crazy little cat. 

“ All this confusion was terrifying to 
Kathie, poor baby! It was n’t a bit as 
she had expected! It was n’t a nice 
“ Thankful dinner ” at all ! It was only a 
horrid noise, and she was frightened, and 
could n’t open the barn doors to get away 
from everything so horrid. The doors 
seemed heavier than before, and she 
could n’t push them open. Rover acted 
so queerly, and pussy, too, she was as 
afraid of them as the chickens were — 


A “ Thankful Dinner 


53 


and at last she climbed part way up the 
ladder and screamed for her grandpa as 
loudly as she could. “ Grandpa ! O ! 
grandpa / ” she cried, and the tears were 
running fast as rivers down her little fat 
cheeks. “ O, my grandpa ! come to 
Kathie ! ” she called again, and this time 
the old cook heard her, and calling her 
master and mistress she ran to the barn, 
while everybody followed, and Kathie’s 
Mamma was in a great state of excite- 
ment as she heard her baby’s voice. 

“ Well ! when the door was opened, the 
secret of the great noise and confusion 
was out — and you may be sure not only 
the secret , but the cat, the dog, the hens, 
and all were out in a jiffy, and glad of 
their deliverance. 

“ Grandpa lifted his little darling down 
from the ladder, and brushed the wisps of 
hay and straw out of the tangled curls, 
and put the little maid — who had meant 
to be so kind and loving to the farm pets, 


54 


Lassie and Laddie 


and was so grieved and disappointed at 
the result of her efforts — into the arms 
of her mother, and very soon the little 
one was sound asleep on a bed upstairs, 
while the grown-ups below were having a 
good laugh over the funny “ Thankful 
dinner ” provided by Kathie for her un- 
grateful guests.” 

When Mamma finished her story, and 
the children had clapped and applauded 
over and over again, Lassie asked, 
“ Mamma, did you ever hear what became 
of that Kathie ? ” 

“ Well, I believe she grew up, just as 
you will, I hope, and I ’m sure she did n’t 
give any more such funny dinners.” 

Lassie continued, — and there was a 
merry little twinkle in her eyes, — “ Well, 
I know what became of her, and I ’ll tell 
you. She grew up and had a little girl 
named ‘ Lassie,’ and I guessed it, ’cause 
you told me once, long ago, that when 
you were little your Papa and Mamma 


A “Thankful Dinner” 55 

called you Kathie, ’cause your name ’s 
Kath’rine. Ah ha, Mamma ! I ’ve caught 
you! ” 

Mamma laughed, and confessed that 
Lassie had found her out, and then Lad- 
die chimed in with a great, big, long 
yawn, and said he could have guessed it 
too, if Lassie had n’t been so quick ’bout 
it he did n’t have time. 

“Just see how sleepy you are, Laddie,” 
said his Auntie ; “ now kiss me good-night, 
and remember your promise, dear, — no 
talking. 

Then with a loving kiss she tucked him 
up as snugly as a little mouse in its hole, 
and crossed her room to Lassie’s bed, 
where a pair of dear, loving little arms 
clasped her, and sweet little lips found hers. 

“ Good-night, my two darlings! Good- 
night! ” and then the darkness shut our 
little Lassie and Laddie quickly away 
from waking thoughts, and carried them 
into the land of dreams. 



CHAPTER VII 


A HAY -RIDE 



'HE next morning dawned beautifully, 


A and the children were ready for any 
good time that might come along. 

Mamma said she would like to have 
some flowers for her vases, if she knew a 
little girl and boy who felt like getting 
some from the garden. 

Lassie and Laddie, who were at that 
moment sitting on the top step of the 
piazza, very busy doing nothing, at once 
took the hint, and were off for the little 
flower garden in a jiffy. 

Lassie said, “ I'll pick the fastest.” And 
Laddie, afraid of that, worked so fast that 
he pulled most of his flowers off by their 


A Hay Ride 


57 


heads, which was something a boy even 
younger than he ought to have known 
was the wrong thing to do — but his in- 
tentions were so good, and he was hurry- 
ing so fast to “ get ahead of Lassie” and 
deliver his roses before she reached 
Mamma with her pinks, that his Auntie 
made the best of the bad bargain, and 
used a shallow dish for the poor stem- 
less things, instead of the vase. A little 
later, still on the lookout for something to 
do, they each made a throne of the gate- 
posts and perched there like little statues, 
only statues are not supposed to swing 
their feet and sing at the top of their 
voices, which these little human statues did. 

“ I know a song that Mamma made for 
me,” said Lassie. “ Did your Mamma 
ever make one for you ? Mine is a pretty 
one, and I ’ve sung it lots of times. I 
don’t see how she ever thought of it ; but 
then my Mamma, she ’s the very won- 
derfullest mother that ever was! ” 


53 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ ’Cept mine ! ” interrupted loyal little 
Laddie. “ You must always say ’cept 
mine, Lassie Kearney, ’cause nobody could 
be wonderfuller than my Mamma, ’n’ she ’s 
your very own Auntie, so you ought to 
think so, too.” 

“ Well, of course that was the meaning 
in my heart,” was Lassie’s reply, “ but I 
don’t always have time to say everything 
out loud. Anyway, your Mamma did n’t 
make a song ’bout you! ” 

“She’s going to some day — you just 
wait! And maybe it ’ll beat yours. How 
does yours go ? ” 

“ Well, you listen.” And the little 
high notes rang out on the air, while, as 
usual, the restless heels beat time. 

“ When my little midget gets into a fidget, 

Oh, what shall I do with her then ? 

I 'll tenderly scold her, and lovingly hold her, 
And kiss her again and again." 

Over and over again did Lassie sing her 
little song, and Laddie, who readily caught 


A Hay Ride 


59 


the words and air joined in with might 
and main, and their voices floated down 
the road till they reached the ears of Far- 
mer Jones, as he sat on top of a wagon- 
load of hay and chewed a bit of straw 
pretty much as a lazy cow chews its cud. 

The farmer was thinking just at that 
moment of the “ little chap ” he had taken 
such a fancy to the day before. He 
had been hoping that presently when he 
would pass the Kearney cottage he might 
catch a glimpse of Laddie playing about 
the place. When he heard the pair of 
singing voices, he touched up his oxen, 
and thought to himself : 

“ Wal ’ ! there they be, both of ’em, sure 
enough ! Now I wonder if the young- 
sters would n’t like a ride top o ’ this ’ere 
load. Hello ! hello, there ! ” he called, as 
turning the corner he saw Laddie and 
Lassie perched high on the gate-posts. 

“ There comes the nice old farmer, see 
Lassie ! ” exclaimed Laddie, and he waved 


6o 


Lassie and Laddie 


his cap above his head with a boyish “ Hi ! 
here I am ! ” 

The team pulled up before the gate. 

“ Say, you two youngsters, how ’d you 
relish a little fun, eh ? What say to a 
ride along with me a little ? ” 

Laddie was off the gate-post in a trice, 
and Lassie also slipped down to the ground, 
but instead of flying out to the hay-wagon 
as her cousin was doing she stood still by 
the gate and reminded Laddie that they 
had n’t asked Mamma, and maybe they 
could n’t go anyway, ’cause — Mamma 
— well they didn’t know the — Mamma 
did n’t let them go with strangers, did n’t 
Laddie know it ? 

Poor little Lassie, she did n’t want to 
be impolite, but there was Laddie actually 
climbing upon the wagon, and she had 
to remind him of Mamma ’s rule, though 
she had been so long about her sentence. 

The farmer burst out laughing. “ Bless 
your heart ! ” said he, “there ain’t a chick 


A Hay Ride 


61 


nor child ’bout here ’at don’t know me. 
‘ Farmer Jones,’ you know ! But wait 
lad, wait while the little gal asks her ma. 
Don’t want ye to break any rules, you 
see ; won’t have a mite of fun if you do. 
Children must do as they ’re told. / did 
when I was a sonny like you.” 

Lassie had found Mamma, and Mrs. 
Kearney now appeared upon the porch. 
She smiled when she saw Mr. Jones. 

“ Oh, good-morning, sir ! It was you 
who made friends with Laddie yesterday 
in the stage then ? I did n’t know it, as 
he did n’t know your name. Why, cer- 
tainly, the children will be very much 
obliged for their ride, and if you ’ll be 
kind enough to drop them at the post- 
office they may find some mail for me.” 

Lassie was n’t a whit slower climbing to 
the top of that hay than Laddie, and they 
sank down like a pair of little birds in the 
soft nest they made for themselves in the 
fragrant pile. 


62 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ Seem ’s though I ’ve got lots of do in 
me this morning,” said Lassie, “ have n’t 
you Laddie Lee ? ” 

“Brimming full to the top of me with 
it,” was the reply. “ Say, Lassie, — say it 
good and strong, too ! — are n’t you jolly, 
jolly glad just to be alive ? / am ! and 

aren’t you glad, too, Mr. Jones?” 

“Wal’, I reckon there ain’t any doubt 
of that, sonny; don’t I look it?” turning 
a good-natured old face around to them, 
and beaming as warmly upon them as 
though he were a sunbeam itself. 

“ Yes, sir, you look it,” replied Laddie, 
“ and you look some other thing, too,” 
he added a little shyly, as though he did n’t 
know whether he could with propriety say 
just what was in his honest little heart. 

“ Wal’, sonny, say on, what yer hesita- 
tin ’ fer ? ” 

Laddie hesitated no longer. “You 
look ’s though you liked little boys ’n’ 
girls a lot ; do you ? ” 


A Hay Ride 


63 


A loud, hearty laugh rang out from 
Farmer Jones’s big throat, and he nearly 
tumbled off the board he was sitting on 
and back into the children’s cosey nest. 

“ Oh, ho ! oh, ho ! wal ’ now, sonny, 
bless your little heart ! You ’re the best 
guesser I ever heard of ! Wal,’ I ’m fond 
of little boys and girls ’nough to wish I 
owned a bushel or two of ’em myself. 
Oh, yes, son, you ’ve hit it that time.” 

“/guessed it, too,” piped up little Lassie. 
“ I was just in the middle of guessing it 
when Laddie said it,” she added. “ And 
I guessed it ’cause if you had n’t been 
you would n’t have let us ride on your 
nice clean hay, would you ? ” 

“ Wal, there might be men who 
would n’t think it a good plan,” replied 
the farmer, “ but, you see, sissy, I don’t 
happen to be one of that kind. What ’s 
that song you youngsters were a-singing 
when I came along? My but ye were 
goin ’ it full steam on.” 


64 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ Oh, that was a song my Auntie made 
up for Lassie,” replied the little boy. 
“ Was n’t it a jolly good one ? ” 

“You see,” confessed Lassie bravely, 
“ some days I do get so full of fidgets I 
don’t know what to do, ’n’ Mamma she 
made that song one day, and said when- 
ever I felt a fidget beginning I must sing 
it, and she guessed it would drive the 
fidget away ; so in case Laddie should have 
one sometime, I made him learn the song. 
Shall we sing it again P ” 

“ Go ahead,” said Mr. Jones. 

So the two little voices began again, 
and the words rang out merrily : 

‘ When my little midget gets into a fidget, 

Oh, what shall I do with her then ? 

I ’ll tenderly scold her, and loving hold her, 
And kiss her again and again.” 

“ Wal,’ now that ’s a grand good sort of 
song, an’ the words are nice, too, an’ sort 
o’ motherly ain’t they. Your Ma looks 
jest that kind, sissy.” 


A Hay Ride 


65 


“ She ’s the very darlingest — Oh ! 
Laddie, look ! see those sweet little 
ducks going into the water with their 
mamma ! ” 

Laddie leaned over the pile of hay about 
his snug little nestling hole, and saw the 
ducks at which Lassie pointed, and the 
farmer said : 

“ I can ’t sing for ye, but I can tell ye a 
rhyme ’bout ducks. Guess I must have 
learned it when I was a shaver. Goes 
this way : 

‘ Two little ducks I see out on the green. 

The prettiest duckies that ever were seen. 

Waddling and toddling, and busy at play, 

Each in its own particular way. 

Two little ducks, so cunning and sweet, 

Paddling about on their busy feet. 

Very dear playmates these duckies so wee ! 

Happy and noisy as duckies can be ! 

Here they go, there they go, full of their fun, 

Out in the wind and out in the sun. 

Two little duckies so busy at play 

All in the shine of the summer day. 

5 


66 


Lassie and Laddie 


One is fair, yes, dainty and fair, 

With pretty blue eyes, and sunny, bright hair. 
She waves her arms and goes running to meet 
The other wee duckie, all cunning and sweet. 
And the sunbeams flicker and breezes blow 
Wherever the two little wee ducks go. 

The other duckie is dressed in yellow, 

A fuzzy, feathery, web-footed fellow. 

His eyes are black and his hair is brown, 

And he turns his toes in as he struts up and down; 
And he flaps his wings, and is quacking away, 
Saying, no doubt, “ What a beautiful day ! ” 

So these are the duckies I see on the green, 

The prettiest duckies that e’er could be seen, — 
A little real duck, with feathers and all, 

And my own little duckie, my girlie so small.’ 

“ There now,” asked the farmer, who 
had recited the rhyme in a comical way, 
and in his own peculiar style of language, 
— just as he talked, — “ is n’t that pretty 
good for an old feller like me ? Can ’t 
see how on airth I came to remember the 
words so well, for it ’d beat me to tell 
when I ’ve said it before. Guess likely 


A Hay Ride 67 

you youngsters got workin’ on me. 
Hello ! here ’s the post-office already ! ” 
The children thanked him for his rhyme, 
and for the ride, which had been a special 
pleasure to them. He promised them 
another some day, as he helped them slide 
off the hay down to the ground. Two or 
three children of the village had seen the 
hay-wagon coming, and after Laddie and 
Lassie dropped to the ground, the other 
children threw up their arms shouting, 
“Oh, Mr. Jones! please give us a turn 
now ! Can we get a ride, too ? ” 

“ Lor’, yes ! climb up with ye ! ” was his 
good-natured reply, and looking back from 
the post-office door, Laddie and Lassie 
saw the cart going on up the road with its 
new lot of passengers, who were going to 
enjoy it all as much as they had. 

“ I knew he was good to children, you 
see,” said Laddie, “ and I like him more 
and more all the minutes I know him, 
don’t you Lassie Kearney ? ” 


68 


Lassie and Laddie 


“Yes, I do, and I ’m the gladdest that 
ever was that you met him on the stage 
journey.” 

“ So ’m I, and I wish I could pretty 
soon go and see the lady again. Oh, 
she was so sweet ! ” said Laddie. “ You 
would want to see her again, if you ’d 
been in the stage, too! ” 

They found a letter from Laddie’s 
mamma, which he took pains to kiss, dear 
little man, before putting it in his pocket 
for Auntie to read to him. 

“ Now let ’s hurry home,” he said. 
“ Seem ’s though I can’t wait, I ’m in 
such a hurry to see what my dear Mamma 
says to me! ” 

“ Bet I ’ll beat you to the corner tree! ” 
cried Lassie, darting away like a young 
deer. 

“ Bet you can’t!” shouted Laddie sprint- 
ing after her, and because he was a boy, 
and she only a “ Tomboy ,” of course he 
reached the tree first, and sat panting on 


A Hay Ride 


69 


the stone wall till her little feet brought 
her beside him. 

“Ah, ha! didn’t I tell you?” crowed 
Laddie, his dimples showing. 

“ Ah, ha! ” mimicked Lassie, “ don’t you 
s’pose I can get ahead some day, when 
my legs feel more full of run than they 
did this time? You just wait! I can 
beat you easy, sometime.” 

While they sat resting upon the stone 
wall, the stage-coach came rumbling along 
on its morning trip from the station. 

Laddie and Lassie were surprised to 
see that its passengers were only five or 
six little girls and boys, who looked thin 
and pale and were very poorly dressed. 
But their little faces were full of smiles, 
and they had their heads out of the coach 
windows, looking eagerly at all the road- 
side sights afforded them. 

The driver of the stage looked down 
at Laddie and nodded pleasantly as he 
recognized his small passenger of the 


70 


Lassie and Laddie 


previous day, and with a flourish of his 
whip the same old loud-toned “ g ’lang! ” 
rang out, and the stage left Laddie and 
Lassie behind it in another minute. 




CHAPTER VIII 

laddie’s LETTER — CLOUDS 

A \ 7^ HEN our little cousins reached 
’ ’ home, there was plenty of news 
to relate to the Mamma, — of the fun of the 
hay ride, and how Mr. Jones liked the 
“Fidget” song, and the “Duck” rhyme 
he gave them ; of the children who wanted 
a hay ride, too, when the post-office was 
reached; and of the farmer’s liking for 
little girls and boys, and how Laddie and 
Lassie had been “ smart enough to guess 
he did, before he told ’em and of the 
children in the stage. And then Laddie 
said he had saved the best news to tell 
last, and he showed his Auntie the letter 
from his mother, and begged her to “ read 


71 


72 


Lassie and Laddie 


it right away.” So she read this nice lit- 
tle letter to her impatient nephew, while 
he and Lassie sat as closely beside her as 
they could possibly squeeze themselves. 

“ My little son Laddie is now, I am 
hoping, all safe and sound with the dear- 
est of Aunties, and the sweetest of little 
Lassies, and they have kissed him, and 
hugged him, and are making him very 
happy, I know. But in this big city there 
are a Mamma and Papa I know of, who 
are missing a little brown-eyed boy, oh, 
so much ! and are wondering what they 
are going to do for his good-night kisses 
when half-past seven o’clock arrives and 
a little Laddie they are missing so will 
not be on hand to begin to think about 
bedtime. Yet, I am happy when I think 
of how happy Lassie is just now, and of 
what good times she and her ‘ birthday 
present’ are going to have all through 
Laddie’s visit. And I ’m thinking that 


Laddie’s Letter — Clouds 


73 


now, this very minute, while I am writing 
this letter, there ’s a certain Auntie in 
Whitford who is almost ready to eat 
supper with a certain hungry young lady 
and young gentleman, and will soon be 
getting in my place that good-night kiss 
/ want so much. Well, Laddie, little son, 
be a good boy, as you promised me, and 
be as happy as you can, and kiss Lassie 
for her Auntie here — and kiss Auntie also 
— and ask them to give you plenty of hugs 
and plenty of kisses for the Papa and 
Mamma who can’t reach you from here. 
I shall no doubt get that postal card you 
said you would write, the first thing in 
the morning, for I ’m sure my Laddie 
did n’t forget to write. Now good-bye, 
darling boy, with love for all three of you 
from Papa and Mamma.” 

When Auntie finished the letter, she and 
Lassie put their arms around the little 
visitor and did just what his Mamma had 


74 


Lassie and Laddie 


asked them to do, and he returned their 
attentions in the same way. Then he 
pronounced Mamma’s letter to be “ per- 
felly splendid ! ” and — then he suddenly 
turned his back and drew his arm across 
his eyes and pretended to see something 
worth looking at out-of-doors. 

But though Lassie was deceived, and 
ran to see what he saw from the window, 
Auntie knew that the little boy was having 
just a wee bit of homesick feeling then, 
and that he would like to have gone straight 
back to his own dear Mamma’s arms, just 
for a little while, if he only could have 
flown through the air like a little bird. 

But he would have wanted, of course, to 
visit, fly back again to finish that birthday 
she knew very well, and she loved him all the 
more for the little affectionate, homesick 
heart he was trying so hard not to betray. 

“ Why, I should n’t be the leastest 
’sprised if it should rain, Auntie,” Laddie 
called, after the lump in his throat had at 


Laddie’s Letter — Clouds 


75 


last been swallowed ; “ see the black sky 
over there ! ” 

“ That what you ’re looking at ? ” ques- 
tioned his little cousin. “ Let ’s look over 
there where the blue is ; it ’s lots prettier 
than that black cloud.” 

“ Yes, so it is,” said Mamma, who stood 
by Laddie’s side and saw the big cloud, 
which sure enough threatened rain ; “ so 
it is, but all the same Laddie is right, and 
it will rain very hard before long.” 

“ Oh dear ! just when we were going to 
play ‘ tag ’ over in the meadow ! ” com- 
plained Lassie. 

“ And by ’n’ by we were going to walk 
up to the hotel fence and see if the boys 
were playing leap-frog again ! ” added 
Laddie. “ Is n’t it mean for it to rain ? ” 

“ I would n’t forget that it is the dear 
Father in heaven who sends the rain, 
Laddie dear, if I were you,” suggested 
Auntie quietly, “ and perhaps if the fields 
and flowers and all the whole beautiful 


76 


Lassie and Laddie 


landscape could speak, they would tell us 
all how they need and are glad to be rained 
upon, and be revived and made fresh and 
bright again. I think as it is quite a long 
time since we had rain the earth must be 
very thirsty now. Did n’t you notice any 
dust on the bushes at the roadside, and 
that the little brook running beside the 
post-office was quite low, showing all 
its stones and its gravelly bed very 
plainly ? ” 

“ Why, yes, we did, Auntie ! I forgot 
’bout the earth getting thirsty ! course it 
wants to drink some times, and, after all, I 
don’t b’lieve we care very much if it does 
rain, do we, Lassie ? ” 

It was a very bright little face which 
Auntie looked down at, for the sun that 
had been hidden for a few minutes in his 
heart by that little cloud of discontent 
(and the little cloud of homesickness, too, 
perhaps) had pushed its sunny way out 
to the surface again, you understand, and 


Laddie’s Letter — Clouds 


77 


there it was, shining and dancing away 
just as usual. 

“ There ’s a little bit of a poem, or rather 
I should call it a rhyme" said Auntie, 
“which I found one day in a magazine, 
about clouds and sunshine. I can remem- 
ber it easily. Listen: it is for little folks. 

“ ‘ Oh, what if the big black clouds do show ? 
What need we care, when we surely know 
That the beautiful sunshine is waiting behind, 
And will come to the front at last, we will find! 

So don’t let us fret, nor ever forget 

That, whatever the clouds, the sunshine lives yet.’” 

Laddie and Lassie repeated that several 
times, till they knew it by heart, and by 
then the clouds had covered a large part 
of the sky, and the raindrops were begin- 
ning to patter about on the piazza roof, 
and down on the dusty road. Laddie’s 
thoughts turned to his mother’s letter 
again, and that made him say : 

“Well, I ’m glad I wrote that postal to 
Mamma yesterday, ’cause if I ’d waited till 
to-day, maybe it would have been so 


78 


Lassie and Laddie 


muddy we could n’t have taken it to the 
post-office.” 

“ Oh, but you could rit have waited till 
to-day, you know, Laddie Lee ! ” said 
Lassie. “You promised my Auntie to 
send it the very day you got here.” 

“Yes, I know I did, and I ’m jolly glad 
I did n’t forget to remember,” was the 
reply. “ I always am going to keep my 
word, way on to the time when I ’m as 
big as my papa. He always keeps his 
word, ’n’ he tells me I must believe him 
when he says he ’s going to do a thing, 
’cause he says jus’ erzactly what he means, 
and that is always the right way to do, ’less 
you say, in a great hurry, something bad 
and wrong , ’n’ then you must n’t mean it, 
you see.” 

Lassie was listening very intently as 
Laddie talked, and he went on, very 
frankly confessing : 

“ Why, even when papa says, ‘ Laddie, 
I shall punish you if you do that again,’ 


Laddie’s Letter — Clouds 


79 


he never once forgets to remember, and — 
and I truly do get punished, too ! ” 

Lassie was very sympathetic, and drew 
nearer Laddie, as they sat in the window- 
seat together, and took hold of his hand 
lovingly, as he continued : 

“ Yes, and once when he told me he ’d 
punish me if I pulled Annie’s cap off 
again — you see, sometimes I just cant 
help pulling her cap, ’cause she won’t let 
me play in the kitchen — I just thought 
maybe he ’d forget ’bout it by ’n’ by, and 
— and one day I thought Annie was the 
crossest that ever was, and I just pulled 
off her cap ’fore I thought, and it made 
her holler so loud that Papa heard her, 
’n’ he did nt forget to remember, no, sir , 
he did n’t! and he made Mamma put me 
to bed right in the very middle of the day, 
when I had so much do in me, I could n’t 
bear being in a still bed.” 

“ Oh, Laddie ! I ’m sorry for you ! ” 
cried Lassie, “ but papas have to make 


8o 


Lassie and Laddie 


their children mind, I s’pose. Mammas 
have to punish us, too, don’t they ? ” 

“Oh, yes, indeed! Mine keeps her 
promise just the same as Papa does. But 
— tell you what ! they go on loving us a 
lot, don’t they — all the same ! ” 

Lassie was quite sure of that, too ; and 
just then Mamma, who had listened from 
her chair in the distant part of the room 
to this little serious conversation, and had 
smiled to herself over it, had a plan which 
she thought might give the children a lit- 
tle rainy-day pleasure. 

In one corner of the sitting-room stood 
a table with a very deep drawer, and that 
drawer had been gradually accumulating 
all sorts of odds and ends of things. 
Mamma had been intending to give that 
drawer a regular overhauling some day. 
But as yet that had not been done. But 
she felt sure the “overhauling” would be 
something her little folks would like to at- 
tend to, so she said : 


Laddies Letter — Clouds 


“ If anybody thinks it fun to clear out 
my big table drawer, and put it in nice 
order for me, I ’ll be glad and thankful to 
have it done this very minute.” 

“Whoopee!” shouted Lassie, jumping 
to her feet. “Come on, Laddie! there s 
a pile of things in that drawer.” 

So it happened that the rain, which had 
begun to attend very strictly to its particu- 
lar mission by this time, was quite un- 
heeded by the children, as they stood 
before that open drawer and took the 
contents out, laying them upon a large 
piece of paper which Mamma placed upon 
the floor for that purpose. 

It would take too long if I tried to tell 
of all Lassie and Laddie found in that 
deep drawer, and of course there were 
many bits of things which Mamma said 
need not be put back again, as they were 
not important enough to keep. But the 
little folks found some photographs there, 
a few pretty pictures which were in an 


82 


Lassie and Laddie 


envelope — and a rather shabby envelope 
at that, since it had lain here and there in 
Mamma’s keeping for a long time before 
it finally had got tucked away in that 
table drawer. 

“ Oh, look ! look Laddie ! ” cried Lassie; 
“ here are some pretty pictures ! oh, are n’t 
they pretty ! Mamma, I never saw any 
places like these, did I ? ” 

“No, darling, you have n’t as yet, but 
perhaps some day, — oh, some day quite a 
long way off as yet, when you are a 
young lady, — you may have the pleasure 
of seeing every one of those places, and 
many more beside. They are all pictures 
of foreign scenes, and Mamma got them 
in Europe before she became Mamma to 
a dear little Lassie, you know.” 

She laughed and pinched the rosy cheek 
as she spoke; and, dropping down beside 
the children as they sat on the floor, she 
looked over the pictures with them. 

“ Did you go way to Eurip, Auntie ? ” 


Laddie’s Letter — Clouds 


83 


questioned Laddie, looking at her with ad- 
miring eyes. “ Why, / did n’t know you ’d 
ever in the world been so far away ! ” 
“Yes, dear; your Uncle Jamie and I 
went abroad when we were married, and 
I enjoyed seeing the things which these 
photographs are showing you now so 
much that I brought the pictures home 
with me.” 

“ Can’t you tell us ’bout them, Mamma ? ” 
asked Lassie. “ What are those little 
boys doing in the water there ? ” 

“ And see all these birds on the ground, 
in this picture,” said Laddie. “ Oh, what 
a big, big lot of ’em ! ” 

Mamma gathered the photographs to- 
gether, and getting a fresh envelope, 
slipped them inside, and wrote on the en- 
velope — “ Stories for Lassie and Laddie 
when bedtime comes.” 

“ Now, my little midgets,” said she, 
“ you may take turns, each night, in draw- 
ing out one of these pictures, and after 


8 4 


Lassie and Laddie 


you are in bed I will tell you about which- 
ever picture happens to be drawn. Won’t 
that be a good plan ? ” 

The children were delighted, and both 
got upon their feet and raced over to 
where she stood at her desk, and fell upon 
her with so much frolicsome energy that, 
when she at last escaped from the room 
laughingly, her comb had tumbled to the 
floor, and as Laddie declared, “ she looked 
just like a little girl-auntie.” 




CHAPTER IX 


THE FIRST “ BED-TIME STORY ” 

HE children were very prompt in 



* getting ready for bed that night, 
and when the envelope containing the 
pictures was brought out, and Lassie was 
allowed the selection for that night, — be- 
cause she was “ the lady” as Laddie 
said, “and gentlemen must always say 
‘ ladies first,’ ” — the picture that she 
chanced upon was a Venetian photograph, 
and represented the Piazza where St. 
Mark’s cathedral stands in Venice. 

“ Oh, this is the pigeon picture ! ” ex- 
claimed Lassie. “ See ? All those dear, 
wee, cunning little pigeons cuddled on the 
ground ! And it says underneath that it 


86 


Lassie and Laddie 


is a piazza , but it does n’t look the leastest 
like one, and it ’s down on the ground, like 
a street.” 

Mamma laughed. “ Oh, Lassie, little 
girl ! That word is pronounced in this 
way, — Piatza ; and it means in Italian a 
square , and a promenade. That large 
church you see is a cathedral, and is 
named San Marco , which means in our 
language, * St. Mark’s.’ That tower be- 
side it, lifting itself so high in air, is the 
bell tower , and is called in Venice the 
Campanile — which you must pronounce 
campm^/j/. All that is puzzling your 
little heads, I suppose, but I want to give 
you the right explanation while I ’m about 
it. The bells in the Campanile belong to 
the church.” 

“ But, Auntie, why don’t they put the 
church bells in the church , ’stead of in that 
high tower?” questioned Laddie. 

“ I was about to explain, dearie, that in 
the long-ago days the church bells were 



THE GRAND CANAL AND CAMPANILE. Page 86 


















































The First “Bed-time Story” 87 


considered to be too large and heavy in 
weight to be safely hung in the churches, 
or cathedrals, for it was feared their vibra- 
tions might injure the building — that is, 
might weaken it, you understand, when the 
bells were rung. So the campaniles — the 
towers like that you see in the picture — 
were erected close by, and made very 
strong on purpose to hold the heavy bells. 
This tower here is — only think of it ! — four 
hundred feet above the water — the Grand 
Canal (which I will also explain to you, is 
the street in Venice. You can learn about 
that, however, presently). Well, this 
Campanile attracts crowds of visitors, be- 
cause the view from the top is so mag- 
nificent, and the funny part of it is that 
you don’t have to climb steps , as is the 
case generally when one seeks a view 
from a high place, but you walk up an in- 
cline made of stone, just like a sidewalk 
running up hill, you understand. And 
there is a story that once the great Em- 


88 


Lassie and Laddie 


peror Napoleon Bonaparte rode on horse- 
back up to the very top, which, after all, 
was n’t a difficult thing to do, because the 
incline is so gradual. There, now you 
understand about the church and the 
tower, so I ’ll tell you about the pigeons.” 

“Yes, and about the watery street, 
too ! ” urged Laddie. “ What a funny 
place Venice must be ! I ’d want some 
dry streets, would n’t you, Lassie, if we 
lived there ?” 

“ Well, now, streets or pigeons — which 
shall I tell about first ? ” asked his Auntie, 
looking at the clock, for she had no inten- 
tion of trespassing on the sleep hour with 
her bed-time tales. 

“Streets!" said Laddie, and Lassie, 
impatient to get to the “ cunning pigeons,” 
had to wait a little longer. 

“Well, then,” began her Mamma, 
“Venice is the only city in the world, I 
believe, where canals form almost all the 
streets. There are some little back ways 


The First “ Bed-time Story ” 89 


here and there, narrow little things like 
alleyways, running behind, and sometimes 
squeezed between houses, but the canals 
form the main streets, and people go about 
in boats called gondolas, which are pro- 
pelled by gondoliers — the men who are 
the same as our cab drivers, you know. 
They stand at one end of the gondola, 
and send it along about the Grand Canal 
— the main street of the city — and also 
in and out of the side waterways, and 
people call a gondola just as they would 
hail a cab in any other city. It is very 
delightful to take a “ drive” in one of 
those pretty gondolas ! See, here in the 
picture you can see one. And there is 
the gondolier — see him ? — with his long 
oar, and in his picturesque costume. The 
steps of the hotels and houses lead right 
down to the waters edge, and the ripples 
playing about the marble landings make a 
very musical sound all day. Then at 
night, in the early evening, we used to 


9 o 


Lassie and Laddie 


enjoy seeing the ‘ concert gondolas,’ as we 
called them, going slowly up and down, 
decorated with their colored lanterns, 
looking so gay and bright, and filled with 
Italian musicians who gave us fine con- 
certs with mandolins and violins and pretty 
good voices (though sometimes, I will 
confess, their music was hardly deserving 
of that name). The musicians were play- 
ing for money, of course, and made quite 
a fair living in that way during the season 
when the hotels were crowded with vis- 
itors.” 

“Now the pigeons, Auntie?” said 
Laddie, and Lassie clapped her hands. 

Auntie glanced again at the clock. 
There was still time to spare, and the 
children’s eyes were wide awake as could 
be. So she continued. 

“ Those dear little pigeons belong to 
the city government, as their ancestors 
did before them years and years back in 
the pages of history. They are so cher- 



GONDOLA REGATTA ON THE GRAND CANAL. Page go 













































. 


















V 














































I 



































































































































The First “ Bed-time Story ” 91 

ished and venerated by the city, that if 
any person, no matter who might do it, 
should attempt to catch one of them, to 
steal it, or hurt it, or to sell it, a big 
fine would be the penalty, and probably 
imprisonment beside. At midday, the 
clock on the clock-tower strikes clearly, 
and is the signal to those pretty birds 
that their dinner is ready. ( Once a day 
they are fed by the government’s orders, 
and as I have said, that is at the mid- 
day.) Then they come fluttering by 
scores and scores, yes, by the hundreds, 
from all sorts of hiding-places, and light 
upon the piazza there, — the large square, 
as you see, — and have a good time peck- 
ing away at the corn and food thrown 
there for them by the persons who have 
especial charge of the pigeons’ dinner 
hour. It is such a great sight that people 
gather there at midday on purpose to 
see the birds fed.” 

“ But, Mamma dear,” interrupted Las- 


92 


Lassie and Laddie 


sie, “ can’t they have any breakfast and 
supper ? I should think they ’d be hungry 
only eating once a day.” 

Mamma smiled. “ Why, girlie, it 
seemed to me as though those pigeons 
were always eating, and for this reason: 
there is a man there who sells to any- 
body wishing to have the fun of feeding 
the birds at any time during the day 
small cornucopias of paper holding corn, 
— well, about a few cents’ worth of it, 
and just as soon as those pigeons see any 
one holding one of those little parcels, 
down they come from their hiding-places 
in the towers, and the many snug cornices 
of the palace and church windows, and 
the first thing you know there’ll be a 
pigeon on your head, on your arm, cling- 
ing to your shoulders, and even perching 
on your hands, and fluttering eagerly to 
get at that nice yellow corn they saw you 
buy for them. Why, do you know that 
the first time / bought a package of it, 






















































































































The First “ Bed-time Story” 93 

I actually had to sit down on the base of 
one of the columns in the square, for 
I was so covered with those pigeons 
that I was nearly smothered, and Papa, 
Lassie, laughed at me, because they 
pounced down so suddenly I was half 
frightened. You see I chanced to be the 
only one just at that time who was 
buying the corn, — there were but few 
people about at that hour, — and of course 
the greedy little pets made a swoop upon 
me in no time. It is a very pretty sight 
to see the birds strutting around upon 
the pavement of the square, and being 
so tame and sociable, and cooing happily 
in their feelings of perfect safety. There, 
now the clock is telling me very plainly 
that my story must stop on this instant, 
and you two little human pigeons must 
fold your wings and cuddle down in 
your nests and sleep — sleep — sleep, till 
morning.” 

Lassie and Laddie drew long breaths 


94 


Lassie and Laddie 


of contentment, and it was plain to be 
seen that the bed-time stories were going 
to prove very successful and delightful 
affairs. 

“ I wonder what I'll pull out of the 
envelope to-morrow night,” said Laddie. 
“ Oh, is n’t it the bestest fun in the world, 
Lassie ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ! and I wish the envelope 
could be a fatter one,” replied Lassie, 
“ so ’s we’ d be a long time getting to 
the very end.” 




CHAPTER X 

THE “FRESH-AIR” CHILDREN 

HE next afternoon, as it was a charm- 



1 ing day, Laddie asked if he and 
Lassie might be allowed to try and find 
the house where his “pretty lady” lived, 
who had told him her name was Mrs. 
Spencer. “ She ’ll be wondering why I 
don’t hurry to see her,” he said, “ and 
I ’d be ’shamed if I forgot her so soon. 
You see, Auntie dear, she was very polite 
and nice to me in the stage.” 

“ Run along, Laddie boy,” was his 
Auntie’s reply, and Lassie was ready, of 
course, to “ do and dare ” anything which 
her dearly loved little cousin might 
suggest. 


95 


9 6 


Lassie and Laddie 


So away went the two, scampering up 
the road like young colts, and promising 
to stop at the post-office before returning. 

It was a pleasant walk, and the chil- 
dren took their time about it, stopping to 
watch the squirrels and listen to the 
birds and to play along the roadside as 
all children love to do. So that when 
they finally reached Mrs. Spencer’s pretty 
home, where the little fountain was play- 
ing merrily on the lawn, and the sun- 
beams were flickering about amongst the 
trees, the afternoon was half gone. 

But the sparkling fountain was not the 
only thing playing on the lawn. No in- 
deed ! Laddie and Lassie were aston- 
ished to find several children there, 
running about and enjoying themselves 
as if they owned the whole place. 

“ She never told me she had any more 
children than the little boy who died,” 
said Laddie, a little indignantly. “ I 
would n’t have felt so sorry for her if I 


The “Fresh-Air” Children 97 

had n’t thought she was lonesome ’thout 
any little son.” 

“ Why, Laddie Lee ! ” whispered Lassie, 
“ those are n’t hers at all ! Those are the 
little girls and boys we saw in the stage 
yesterday, don’t you know ? See, they ’ve 
got those same funny clothes on.” 

“ Oh, yes ! and there ’s the boy that had 
such awf’ly thin cheeks, see him over 
there, Lassie ? Oh ! does n’t he look sick 
as can be ! ” 

“ But what makes ’em dare to come and 
run all over Mrs. Spencer’s nice grass?” 
wondered Lassie. “ I don’t truly ’spose 
she ’d let ’em if she knew it, do you 
Laddie ? ” 

While they were wondering, they were 
also walking up the path to the front 
door of the cottage, and I am inclined to 
think that they put on quite an air of im- 
portance when they noticed the other 
children gazing at them, because, you see, 
as they had been invited to visit the house 


9 8 


Lassie and Laddie 


and they fancied that those other children 
were evidently only intruders where they 
had no right to be, Laddie and Lassie 
could n’t help feeling somewhat superior 
in importance. 

Finally Laddie said to one of the “ in- 
truders,” “ 'SNhaX you doing in this lady’s 
garden ? you don’t live here ! ” 

“Yes we does, too!” came the answer, 
which so surprised Laddie that he could n’t 
think of any more questions to ask, and 
Lassie wondered if it would n’t be en- 
tirely right, under the circumstances, for 
her to make a face at the saucy little 
strange girl, just to “serve her right for 
being so — so imperent to Laddie.” 

But at that moment the children at 
whom our little cousins were staring some- 
what angrily set up a shout and smiled 
all over their faces as they ran towards a 
lady who was coming around a corner of 
the cottage. 

“ Here ’s our kind lady ! here she 


The “Fresh-Air” Children 


99 


comes ! ” they cried, and Laddie and Las- 
sie recognized Mrs. Spencer. Her sweet 
face was as smiling as the little faces of 
the children who greeted her, and when 
presently she saw our two little folks 
standing side by side on the piazza, she 
smiled all the more, and hurried forward 
to greet and welcome them. 

“Well, my bonny Laddie,” she said, 
“ and my wee bonny Lassie. I am glad 
to see you again,” taking a little hand in 
each of hers and pressing it gently, while 
they replied somewhat shyly, “ How 
do?” 

Then Laddie stood on tip-toe, and 
whispered in her ear as she bent towards 
him : 

“ I — we — did n’t know you had so many 
children — you said you were lonely ’cause 
your little boy died ; but Lassie guesses 
these are n’t yours at all, ’cause we saw 
’em in the stage yesterday.” 

“ Bless your little heart, dearie ! ” re- 


IOO 


Lassie and Laddie 


plied the lady with a laugh. “ Lassie was 
right; these are only my little ‘ Fresh-air - 
funders.' Don’t you know about the 
Fresh-air-fund children that come from 
the hot cities a week or two each summer, 
and have good times wherever kind- 
hearted people are willing to send, and to 
receive them ? ” 

“No ma’am,” replied Laddie. “ I 
do n’t know ’bout ’em at all, ’n’ Lassie 
doesn’t either, do you?” turning to the 
little girl. No, Lassie did n’t seem to 
know about the subject either, and so 
Mrs. Spencer, after bidding the little 
“Fresh-airs” run back to their play, sat 
down on the steps of her pretty vine-clad 
porch with her small visitors, and enter- 
tained them by telling all about the good 
work done to poor half-starved and half- 
clothed little children whose homes were 
in the poorest and unhealthiest parts of 
large cities, and especially of New York 
City. She told how certain charitable 


The “Fresh-Air” Children ioi 


societies had provided places in the country 
where the poor little ones could be sent 
in the care of kind women for a week or 
two, so that they might have the benefit 
of fresh air and good food, and enjoy a 
little of the good things which children 
whose circumstances are more fortunate 
can enjoy all the time in abundance. 

She told Laddie and Lassie that a great 
many kind-hearted people who lived in 
the country, and had plenty of room and 
ground to spare, were willing to have a 
few little unfortunate children come and 
stay with them a little while, and have as 
good a time as those children for whom 
the missions were providing as well as 
they could. “ You see there are so many, 
many, many little people who live in this 
world,” said the lady, “whose circum- 
stances never were, and never can be, as for- 
tunate as so many other children’s are ! — 
yours and Lassie’s, for instance, and others 
who are so used to riches and good times 


102 


Lassie and Laddie 


(even more than you dear little ones are 
enjoying, perhaps) that they don’t really 
appreciate all they are enjoying day by 
day. Oh, yes, there are so many of the 
other kind — the sorry and hungry, and 
sad and sick kind — that we must look 
about us, and see if we can’t put a little 
sunshine into their lives, when God has 
given us so much for ourselves to enjoy, 
don’t you think so ? ” Lassie and Lad- 
die nodded seriously. They were feeling 
very sorry for all those poor little people 
the lady was speaking of, and they had 
never thought about such things before. 

“Well,” continued Mrs. Spencer, “so 
one day I wrote to one of my friends in 
the city that if she could send me six little 
ones who needed change of air and scene, 
I would take care of them for a week, and 
perhaps a little longer, if they were chil- 
dren who would not get beyond my control, 
nor give any trouble to my neighbors. So 
yesterday the stage brought these little 


The “Fresh-Air” Children 103 


girls and boys to me, and I have had two 
good rooms in the barn put in good order 
with little cots all sweet and comfortable, 
and plenty of water and soap and towels, 
and everything nice for them, and Bridget, 
my good old servant, helps me look out for 
them. They are so happy here and are 
such good little things that I dare say I 
shall actually miss them when they go.” 

“ Guess they ’ve got dreadfully big ap- 
petites for eating ! ” exclaimed Lassie, “ it 
makes me awf Ty hungryfied when I ’ve 
been playing all day.” 

“ Me, too ! ” put in Laddie, “ and, oh, I 
guess your table must be bigger ’n my 
Auntie’s ! ” 

Mrs. Spencer laughed. “ Come and see 
their table,” she said. So they followed 
her into a nice little room leading out of 
the clean, shining kitchen, and there was 
a table all set ready for the supper-time, 
and six chairs in place ready for their 
small occupants. 


104 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ I look in at them while they are eat- 
ing,” said Mrs. Spencer, “and then I go 
to my own little table in the dining-room, 
and eat all alone, and sometimes I ’m not 
sure but I wish all those little ones were 
my very own babies.” 

That made Laddie and Lassie laugh, 
and then they said they guessed they ’d 
“ better be going,” and said they ’d had “ a 
real nice time,” and then Mrs. Spencer 
put her arm about Laddie and kissed him 
on his beautiful forehead, over the soft 
brown eyes which reminded her of her 
own little son. 

She kissed Lassie, too, and invited them 
both to come again, which they gladly 
agreed to do. Mrs. Spencer then put 
into Laddie’s hand a little printed slip 
which she said she had cut from a paper 
a few days before, and which had helped 
her to decide about sending for the chil- 
dren. She added that his Auntie might 
like to read it to Lassie and himself some 


The “Fresh-Air” Children 105 

day. They thanked her and passed down 
the walk to the gate, and this time they 
smiled at the children who romped on the 
lawn, and the children smiled back at 
them. 

“ They ’ve just as much right to play 
here as we have, have n’t they ? ” whis- 
pered Lassie. 

“ Course they have !” replied Laddie. 



CHAPTER XI 


THE POEM, THE SONG, AND THE STORY 

\ \7 HEN the small cousins reached 
” ' home it was almost supper-time, 
and Mamma was at the gate watching for 
them. “Well, I didn’t know whether 
you were trying another game of ‘ Leap- 
toad,' ” she said laughingly, “ or whether 
that gobbler friend of yours had been hav- 
ing another talk with you.” 

Lassie and Laddie laughed, too, and 
said they had been having a better time 
than she could half guess, and if she would 
sit down right away and read that piece 
of paper Laddie had brought home, they 
would tell her all about it. 

So Mamma dropped herself straight 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 107 

down, as obediently as could be, into 
the big piazza rocker, and while Lassie 
perched herself on the large flat arm of 
the chair at one side of her mother, Lad- 
die took a seat on the other arm, and 
this is what they listened to : 

THE LITTLE LAMBS OF THE FLOCK 

Turn them out! turn them out! turn them out, do! 
Under the skies all so sunny and blue! 

Gather them in from the alley and street, 

Poor little vagrants! and give them a treat 
That can never be found amid brick and midst stone, 
But out on the fair country meadows alone. 

Give them a taste of the rose-perfumed breeze; 
Give them the shade of the old apple trees; 

Give them the sunshine unstinted and free; 

Give them a glimpse of the wide-rolling sea; 

Give them the songs of the birds as they fly 
Up to the clouds in the far-off blue sky; 

Teach them to laugh; let them shout if they will, 
Better than medicines heartaches to kill. 

Turn them out! turn them out! turn them out, do! 
Lambs of God’s flock, to the pastures so new! 

Far from the by-ways of sorrow and woe, 

Out to the meadows the wee lambs should go. 


io8 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ Oh, I think that is such a pretty 
poem ! ” cried Lassie ; and Laddie said, 
a little thoughtfully : 

“ Do you know, Auntie darling, I never 
have thought before ’bout children being 
like little lambs. But we are , are n’t we ? 
I mean it does seem like it. You grown- 
up ones are God’s sheep , you see, and of 
course we children are His lambs, and I 
think we ought to feel very proud of that, 
don’t you ? I guess He looks out for us 
more ’n He does for you big sheep, ’cause 
we’re so little we need Him a lot more. 
Does it say who wrote that rhyme, Auntie 
dear ? I’m going to tell Mrs. Spencer 
how we liked it.” 

Auntie lifted the little hand which lay 
upon her shoulder, and not caring a bit 
that the dust of roadside play had made 
it a very soiled little hand, she pressed her 
loving lips upon it, and gave it a tender 
squeeze, as she replied : 

“ Yes, my darling, we are indeed the 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 109 

sheep and the lambs of the dear Shepherd, 
who is always guiding and guarding us 
as He watches from the fold above ; and 
it is a comforting thought for us all, is n’t 
it, to know that He sees and He knows 
all we think and do, and will never stop 
caring for and loving us. Well now, let 
me see who wrote this. There are only 
the initials of the writer signed, and they 
are M. D. B., so we must be content with 
that.” 

“ Anyway, I guess she loved little chil- 
dren,” exclaimed Lassie, “ and I ’m much 
obliged to her, are n’t you, Laddie ? ” 

Laddie agreed, and then the supper bell 
was heard tinkling from the dining-room, 
and while they were at the table the chil- 
dren told Mrs. Kearney all about the Fresh- 
air children, and how the little poem had 
helped to influence Mrs. Spencer in her 
decision to take them; and auntie was 
very much amused and interested as Lad- 
die described his and Lassie’s first idea 


I IO 


Lassie and Laddie 


in regard to the little strangers being 
“ intruders.” 

“ I wish we could do some nice things 
for little ‘ Fresh-airs,’ ” said Laddie pres- 
ently. 

“ Let ’s try and think up something,” 
said Lassie, and Mamma said she had no 
doubt they would one day chance to 
“ think up ” just the right thing, and 
meanwhile they would better finish their 
supper, and have a little romp in the 
garden before bedtime. 

A little later, when the soft sweet 
twilight had settled down over the land- 
scape, and the hills in the distance were 
turning purple, Laddie and Lassie came 
from a game of “ tag ” in the garden, 
and sat down with Mrs. Kearney on the 
porch. 

“ Now we have n’t got one teenty little 
sunbeam left to say good-night to,” said 
Laddie. 

“ / have,” replied his Auntie with a 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 1 1 1 

laugh. “ I have two dear sunbeams to 
say good-night to very soon. I ’ve been 
singing a song to my sunbeams, too, while 
you have been playing.” 

Lassie exclaimed then, “ Oh ! I see 
your eyes all twinkling, Mamma, and 
you ’ve been making a joke, I know it, I 
just know it ! ” 

“You ’re a famous guesser, are n’t you, 
girlie,” laughed Mamma. “ Well, here ’s 
my song, and somehow it came popping 
right into my head just on purpose for 
you and Laddie.” 

So she began a merry little melody 
which I need n’t copy here, but I ’ll give 
you the words that went with it: 

Just like little sunbeams 
Are my girl and boy! 

Little faces merry, 

Hearts all full of joy. 

How they shine about me, 

Flitting here and there ! 

Brown-eyed, bonnie Laddie; 


I 12 


Lassie and Laddie 


Lassie, sweet and fair. 

Oh, how much I love them! 

Words can never say! 

And they ’re growing dearer, 

Dearer every day! 

Long may they be happy 
Little sunbeams bright, 

Flitting all about me 

From morning until night. 

If Laddie and Lassie did n’t smile like 
veritable “ sunbeams ” when Mamma fin- 
ished her little song, it was n’t because 
they did n’t stretch their mouths and 
beam sufficiently to show how they liked 
her loving compliments. Y ou may be sure 
that no song ever had such admiring 
and attentive listeners before, and Mamma 
had to sing it all through again, ere the 
children were willing to get ready for bed. 

“ Well, what shall my story be about 
to-night, I wonder ? ” asked Mamma a lit- 
tle later, after her children were in bed 
and ready for the “ bed-time envelope,” as 
they had named it. 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 1 13 

“ It ’s my turn to draw the picture,” 
said Laddie, and he put his little fingers 
in the envelope. 

“ Hello! here ’s a picture I like,” he 
shouted, pulling forth a photograph which 
showed the harbor at Naples, where the 
ships were lying at anchor a little off- 
shore, and amongst them a large ocean 
steamer, which had anchored a little be- 
yond the smaller craft, and looked as 
though it were enjoying its lazy rest on 
the calm waters, after its long voyage 
from New York. 

It was a very fine, colored photograph 
which Laddie had chanced upon, and the 
children were surprised at the blue tint of 
the water. 

Mamma allowed Laddie to have a good 
look at it, and then she carried it over to 
Lassie, whose bright eyes were as blue as 
the sky in the picture. 

Then mamma took her seat between 
the two little rooms, as on the night 


Lassie and Laddie 


114 

before, and began her description of the 
photograph. 

“Yes, the water is very blue,” she said; 
“ it surprised me as much as it has you, 
when I first saw it, and it seemed to me 
very beautiful. The Italian skies are very 
blue, also, and the waters seem to be 
very often like a second sky when you 
see them — this very bay, for instance — 
lying quietly, almost without a ripple, 
under the soft heaven above. That large 
steamer at anchor is the same kind in 
which your papa and I crossed the ocean, 
and the passengers were taken from the 
large boat to the wharf in small boats, 
such as you saw in the picture approach- 
ing shore. It is n’t always convenient for 
those very large ocean steamers to get 
close in to land, even at other places, and 
so they have to be transferred in this 
way. Well, when we got into harbor, 
and long before we left the big steamer, 
as I stood looking over the side of the 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 1 15 

boat, I noticed a great number of small 
boys — and not a few men, too — who were 
begging the passengers to toss coins in the 
water, and see them dive for the money. 
They could not speak English, of course, 
but they made signs and motions, and now 
and then the word ‘ mon-ie ' would be cried 
out by the older ones, for they had been 
quick enough to learn at least that word 
of our language. Then, too, many of 
the passengers on our ship, who were old 
travellers, understood Italian fairly well, 
and could speak to the divers, and laugh 
with them, and a great many coins were 
tossed over into the water for the fun of 
seeing the men and boys dive for them.” 

“Why, I should n’t suppose they ever 
could find money in the water ! ” said 
Lassie. 

“I 'd have just given it up , and done 
with it,” added Laddie, as if the idea of 
anything different was too hopeless to be 
considered. 


Lassie and Laddie 


1 16 

“ Oh, but Laddie dear, you ’ve no idea 
how cleverly those little Italians — little 
boys no larger than you, and some even 
smaller, I remember — managed to catch 
the coins in their mouths, their hands, and 
even in their toes. The men were n’t one 
bit quicker at it than those little boys, and 
the little chaps, in fact, could cut more 
capers in the water than the men. They 
would dive from their little boats, and 
sink deeply in the water, and come up 
laughing and shouting only to turn sum- 
mersaults backwards and forwards, and 
jump and squirm and frolic in such ways 
as kept us laughing all the time, and then 
they would swim about the steamer hold- 
ing up their brown little hands, and say, 
imploringly, ‘ Mon-ie ! mon-ie !’ and they ’d 
get it, too, the little rogues ! ” 

“ Go on, Auntie ! ” requested Laddie, 
when his auntie paused for a minute’s rest. 
“Go on, ’cause you ’ll be lookingat the clock 
by ’n’ by, and telling us it is stopping time.” 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 1 1 7 

“ And we can ’t waste any time, you 
know,” put in Lassie. 

“ Not even for me to breathe, I sup- 
pose,” laughed Mamma. “ All right. Let 
me see, — oh, I must tell you the funny 
sights we saw as we were driving to 
our hotel from the wharf. We saw cows 
and donkeys harnessed together — think 
of it ! and plodding along the street as 
soberly and willingly as though they 
were n’t making a comical sight of them- 
selves. A cow was sometimes harnessed 
in with a horse , and I don’t think either 
of them felt very happy about it. They 
do a great many funny things there in 
Naples, and have odd customs which 
probably will never be changed. I saw 
very small donkeys walking along so com- 
pletely covered with bales of grass, or 
hay, or vegetables in hampers, or what- 
ever their burdens chanced to be at the 
time, that really all I could see of the poor 
little animal were his legs and his great 


Lassie and Laddie 


118 

big wagging ears, if I happened to be be- 
hind him; and if I were approaching him, 
I only saw a great heap of something or 
other with a long head and a pair of 
crooked, lopping ears projecting from the 
front of the heap.” 

Laddie and Lassie almost rolled out of 
their beds with laughing at that part of 
mamma’s description, for she was telling 
it in a very funny way. 

“ Oh dear ! ” exclaimed Lassie, “ I do 
truly hope Laddie and I can go to Eurip 
some day ! I must see those queer ways ! 
Go on, Mamma ! ” 

“Well, I saw something queerer still 
one day : you ’ll never guess what it was, 
so I won’t ask you to try. I saw an old 
woman with a red shawl on her back, and 
a dirty white cap with frills on the edge, 
helping a cow to draw a wagon. She 
pulled, and the cow pulled, and the wagon 
was so full of old furniture that it must 
have been heavy for both of them. But 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 119 

she did n’t mind helping her cow, and I 
think it was because she had a kind heart, 
and thought the little cow was n’t strong. 
She was quite an old woman, too. But 
Italian women, amongst the peasant 
classes, are very strong, and used to work. 
Well, let me see what else I can think of. 
Oh ! one day as we were taking a drive, 
some little girls ran beside the carriage 
with beautiful roses and other flowers, 
and when I shook my head for ‘ no,’ not 
wanting to buy any, they tossed their 
flowers right into my lap, and ran along 
beside us, coaxing in their pretty way, 
with their dark eyes, and gestures, — 
motions, I mean by that word, — that we 
would buy their sweet wares. So papa 
bought roses of one little girl, and I 
bought the posies which the child running 
along at my side of the carriage had 
thrown with a little laugh into my lap, 
and they were so happy when they 
caught the small Italian coin we gave 


120 


Lassie and Laddie 


them that we enjoyed our flowers all the 
more.” 

“ Go on, Auntie ! Oh, what does make 
you stop a minute, when the clock keeps 
hurrying so with its old ticking?” 

“ Only one more thing, you greedy 
children, and then I shall bid you good- 
night. Dear me ! I ’m afraid I got into 
a scrape with my bed-time arrangements, 
didn’t I? Well, how do you think the 
little beggar boys there used to coax for 
money ? They used to turn ‘ cartwheels ’ 
— you know what the boys call ‘ cart- 
wheels,’ don’t you, Laddie ? ” 

“ Oh, yes ! there ’s a boy in my block 
does it sometimes, just to show off,” re- 
plied Laddie eagerly. “He goes fast as 
anything on his hands and feet sideways, 
you know. But / could do it ’f I tried. 
Say, Lassie ! ” — he got up on his elbow, 
and looked over at Lassie’s room, — “ I ’ll 
do it for you to-morrow ; shall I ? ” 

“No, my boy!” interrupted Auntie, 


The Poem, the Song, and the Story 121 

“ you ’ll try no such silly thing, and be 
served as your ‘ leap-frog ’ served you. 
Now you ’ve wasted a whole minute of 
story time,” glancing at the clock. 

He promptly settled himself in bed 
again, and Auntie continued to explain 
that the little Italian boys turned ‘ cart- 
wheels,’ one after the other, beside the 
carriage, and somersaults by the dozen, 
hoping to win reward for their perform- 
ances in the shape of money, and as soon 
as they got what they wanted from one 
carriage, they would watch for another 
and go over the whole tiresome fun again. 
“ And now,” she said, “ here ’s a hug and 
a kiss from me, and I want to be re- 
warded for them and for my story by the 
shutting of your eyes, and your trip off 
to ‘ slumberland ’ in half of a jiffy ! ” 




CHAPTER XII 

FARMER JONES AGAIN 

What do you love the summer for, 

Dear, happy children ? can you tell 
Why little people far and near 
Love the sweet summer time so well ? 

Why do we love the summer? Oh! 
Because with it all sweet things grow 
Because it brings us birds and flowers, 
And dear, delightful, golden hours; 

And fair blue skies, and merry breeze, 
And leaves that rustle on the trees; 

And buttercups, and daisies sweet, 

Pink clover tops, and ’neath our feet 
The softest, greenest grass, where grows 
The dainty fern. And many a rose 
Beside the wayside hedge in bloom 
Fills all the air with sweet perfume! 

We ’re glad to see the butterflies, 


122 


Farmer Jones Again 123 

Yellow as sunshine from the skies; 

We ’re glad of all the summer brings, 

Its mountain-brooks, and meadow-springs; 

We ’re glad of every joyous day 

From early dawn to twilight gray. 

Oh, that is why we love it well! 

And half its joys we cannot tell ! 

That is the way all little people would 
answer those who might ask why they 
love the summer-time, don’t you think 
so ? At any rate, it is the way Laddie 
and Lassie were feeling, a day or two 
after our last chapter, as they were re- 
turning from the post-office with a letter 
for Auntie, and singing along the way 
like little birds. 

Presently they heard a voice behind 
them singing out in a jolly sort of way, — 
though to be sure it was not a sweet, 
soft voice, and there was n’t any real 
music in it, — “Hey diddle, ho diddle, 
hi diddle-dee, fiddle-dum, faddle-dum, fido- 
dum-fee ! ” 


124 


Lassie and Laddie 


The children turned around, and there 
was dear old Farmer Jones, driving, this 
time, in an empty cart. 

“ Oh, hello, hello ! ” he cried, while his 
eyes were “ full of laugh,” as Laddie 
had once expressed it. “We keep cornin’ 
acrost each other, don’t we, eh? Wal’, 
I 've no sort of objection to it, have you ? ” 

“ The idea f ” exclaimed Lassie, with a 
great deal of emphasis; “ as if we were n’t 
glad to see you ! such a nice, kind man as 
you, too ! 

Farmer Jones threw back his head and 
gave a hearty laugh, while Laddie and 
Lassie were climbing up beside him, tak- 
ing it for granted they were wanted, 
you see. 

“ Wal’ there now,” he said, “ I dunno 
when I ’ve had a compliment like that 
before ! I ’m a ‘ nice, kind man,’ am I ? I ’ll 
have to hold on to that reputation, Miss 
Lassie.” 

He started his horse with a click of 


Farmer Jones Again 125 

the tongue and a slap of the reins, and 
told the children he was going to the 
fields for another load of hay. Then 
they wanted to know how far he had 
taken the girls and boys who had climbed 
on his hay the other morning, when 
he had given them (Lassie and Laddie) 
the ride to the post-office ? He told 
them he had not gone very far before he 
was obliged to dump his human load, 
because they got to cutting up so that 
he nearly lost the whole concern over- 
board, boys, girls, and the load of hay. 
So he had put them off in short order, 
and he guessed next time they ’d behave 
better. 

Laddie looked a little sober, and whis- 
pered to Lassie, who also looked as though 
she was having an anxious thought. 

Mr. Jones turned around in time to 
see the little heads bent together, and 
asked what was wrong. “ I ’ve always 
noticed,” said he with a pretence of great 


126 


Lassie and Laddie 


seriousness, “ that where there ’s whisper- 
in ’, there ’s always somethin ’ said ! an’ 
if ’t ain ’t askin’ too much, I ’d like to hear 
what ’s troublin’ ye.” 

Laddie looked up in confusion, but the 
old farmer did n’t look as sober as he 
tried to make his voice, so the children 
took courage, and Laddie explained that 
he had suddenly had a “ beautiful idea ” 
come to him, and he was just going to 
tell it to Mr. Jones, when he heard how 
the children had acted in the hay-cart, 
and it made him afraid to tell his idea, 
for fear the farmer would n’t like it, so he 
had whispered his idea and his fears to 
Lassie, and they were just thinking how 
to manage about it : that was all. 

Farmer Jones made a funny little 
chuckle in his throat. “ Tell it out, 
sonny ! let ’s have that idee on the spot.” 

“ Well, it was like this,” said Laddie, 
and then he told about the “Fresh-air” 
children at Mrs. Spencer’s house, and of 


Farmer Jones Again 127 

all she had told him about the poor little 
city girls and boys who were not happy, 
but very miserable in their poor houses 
in hot city streets. Laddie told it all 
in his pretty, boyish little way, and eager 
little Lassie helped him, while the kind 
old farmer put in his “ wanter know! ” 
and “ you don’t tell me ! ” every now 
and then, with an air of interest and 
sympathy very gratifying to Lassie and 
Laddie. 

“And so,” continued Laddie, “ I thought 
all of a sudden, that maybe — just maybe 
you know — you would let those poor lit- 
tle girls and boys who have to be Fresh- 
airs’ ’n’ don’t have good times at home, 
you know — maybe, you would some day 
give ’em a nice hay-cart ride, like the one 
we had, only ” 

“ Only lots longer ! ” interrupted Lassie, 
who really could n’t wait another minute 
for her turn to come in the discussion. 

“ Yes, lots longer. I was just that very 


128 


Lassie and Laddie 


instant minute going to say that, Lassie 
Kearney,” he said, a little crossly. 

The farmer laid his big hand on Lad- 
die’s head. “Your idee is ’bout as good 
an idee as I ever heard,” he replied, “ an’ 
I ’m with ye in it, sonny, with all my heart. 
Land o’ goshen ! but you two do beat all 
for bein’ the cunningest critters of all the 
humans I ever see before. G’ long Dob- 
bin, old nag ! ” 

He gave his old horse a gentle tap with 
the reins, and then he and the children 
planned when to give the little “ Fresh- 
airs ” their delightful surprise. 

Everything was arranged by the time 
the Kearney cottage was reached, and 
two very much delighted children scam- 
pered off to find the dear Mamma who 
was always sure to be interested in what- 
ever news her little couple had to relate. 
Of course she was as pleased at the idea 
of a hay-ride for the children at Mrs. 
Spencer’s as Laddie and Lassie and Farmer 


Farmer Jones Again 129 

Jones were, and equally, of course, she 
volunteered to make some delicious peanut 
taffy and send it to the children to enjoy 
on their hay-ride. And for that offer of 
hers she had to submit to the usual re- 
ward from two pairs of impulsive little 
arms, and little squeaks of pleasure from 
two throats, which were not so musical as 
energetic. 

“ When did you say the grand affair is 
to come off ? ” she asked. 

“To-morrow, Mamma darling!” replied 
Lassie, “ to-morrow in the sunniest part 
of the day, right after dinner; and Laddie 
and I have got to hurry off straight after 
breakfast to tell Mrs. Spencer, and ” 

“ But, my dear,” interrupted Mamma, 
“ don’t you think you should find out 
first from Mrs. Spencer whether she is 
willing the children should go to-morrow ? 
You seem to be counting her out of the 
matter entirely.” 

“ O Auntie Kearney! ” cried Laddie, 


130 Lassie and Laddie 

“ you might be ’most sure that such a 
kind lady as she is would just be der- 
lighted to have ’em have such a beautiful 
time. Course she ’ll be willing when we 
’splain everything so nicely to her ! Say, 
Auntie dear, don’t you think you ought 
to be hurrying up ’bout that taffy ? ” 

“ Well, I think I need n’t rush at it this 
minute,” laughed his Auntie, “ as I ’ll have 
plenty of time in the morning.” 

“ You know, Mamma,” put in Lassie a 
little anxiously, “ you ’ll have to make a 
big lot of it, so you must n’t waste too 
much time ’fore you begin ! ” 

“ Run away, midgets, both of you, do, 
and let me read my letter,” was her reply, 
and the children ran out to the kitchen to 
tell Sally all the good news, and then they 
ran as fast as they could to the broad 
green meadow opposite the house, where 
their daily frolics and games of “ tag ” 
and “ I spy,” and various other games 
dear to the heart of little folks, were en- 


Farmer Jones Again 13 1 

joyed in entire freedom, and no one near 
to tell them “ don’t be so noisy.” 

A little later, when Mamma looked out 
of her window, she beheld her children 
seated side by side upon the stone wall, 
singing to music of their own composi- 
tion as many nursery rhymes as they 
could think of, and their little shrill voices 
soared away on the breezes so merrily 
that her heart went singing after them. 




CHAPTER XIII 


ANOTHER BED-TIME STORY 

O W it ’s my turn again,” said Lassie, 



1 " when, at the usual time, she and 
Laddie were ready for the bed-time story, 
and the large envelope was in Mamma’s 


hand. 


“Yes, it is your turn, dear; pull care- 
fully, for we don’t want to tear this en- 
velope, do we ? ” 

“ What you got, Lass ? ” asked Laddie. 

“ Oh ! a lovely hilly picture ! ” was her 
reply. Mamma smiled and carried the 
photograph over to Laddie. 

He saw a pretty scene indeed, — a Swiss 
village surrounded by high mountains, and 
at the foot of those mountains a little 



SWISS VILLAGE, Page 132 






















. 












































































Another Bed-time Story 133 

stream of blue water, and green meadows 
stretching upward along the hillsides ; and 
a number of little queerly shaped houses 
nestling together here and there on the 
hills ; and in the foreground of the picture 
some women working in the fields, and 
men with pitchforks ; and in the distance 
cows and goats were feeding and having 
a good time in the meadows. 

After they had each enjoyed a good 
look at the photograph, Laddie and Lassie 
lay down again and fixed themselves com- 
fortably for the hearing of Mamma’s de- 
scription of it. 

“ It was very beautiful while we were in 
Switzerland,” she began, “ and this is only 
one of its little villages. I bought it be- 
cause of its beauty, though we only passed 
through it on a coaching trip. We have 
to go from one place to another in those 
Swiss mountains by coach very often, as 
railroads are not built in the very moun- 
tainous parts of the country, and so papa 


134 


Lassie and Laddie 


and I were enabled to enjoy a great many 
lovely drives through beautiful scenery 
we could not have seen otherwise. Well, 
those women you see there working away 
so hard are helping their husbands and 
sons about the hay, you know. Women 
work in the fields as often, and sometimes 
at as hard toil, as the men themselves, 
and they would call us in our country very 
lazy if they could see our women doing 
only the easy part of work, and having 
such comfortable times as we do here.” 

“Yes, but Auntie, lots of women have 
to work in New York. I ’ve seen ’em 
carrying big baskets and things, and — oh ! 
I ’ve seen ’em scrubbing floors, sometimes; 
our cleaning girl does it ! ” 

Auntie laughed and explained the dif- 
ference in the kinds of work between that 
in our country and amongst the peasantry 
in foreign countries, and Laddie and Las- 
sie felt a great deal of sympathy for the 
foreigners, of course. 


Another Bed-time Story 135 

“ Oh, they don’t mind it,” said Auntie ; 
“ they are so used to it from their tiny 
childhood that they would not be really 
happy unless they could live out-of-doors 
in the freedom of sun and wind and do 
their share of farm work. We saw some 
funny sights in the Swiss fields we passed. 
We once saw a field full of men and wo- 
men, and a number of haymows. Pres- 
ently three or four of those haymows 
began to walk across the field, and when 
they reached a big barn one of them ac- 
tually climbed a tall ladder, which reached 
from the ground to an open window at 
the top of the barn, and poked itself into 
the window at last. And then I found 
out that what had been a bale of hay had 
somehow turned into a man, for he came 
down that ladder on the jump and gave 
the other bales of hay (waiting, each of 
them, a turn) a chance to go up and turn 
into a man also.” 

Lassie’s eyes, as well as Laddie’s, had 


136 


Lassie and Laddie 


been growing wider and wider open with 
astonishment during this part of mamma’s 
story, but just as Laddie was about to ask 
if she was telling them a “right-down 
make-believe fairy story,” Lassie saw the 
little laugh around Mamma’s mouth, and 
she understood in a minute that those 
walking haymows were only men who had 
carried so large a load on their shoulders 
that their bodies had been completely hid- 
den from view. And Mamma laughingly 
explained that it was really so. By carry- 
ing on their shoulders and backs, and on 
the pitchfork as well, as large a load of 
hay as could be gathered from the field, 
each man really appeared to be a moving 
and waddling haymow, and the sight was 
most comical to any one looking on. 

“ Don’t they have big wagons to pile 
the hay in ? ” asked Lassie. 

“ Not in that part of the country, I 
think,” replied Mamma. “ The men and 
the women are their own hay-carts — and 


Another Bed-time Story 137 

very good ones they are, too. The Swiss 
are a happy, contented people, and they 
love to sing their own merry songs and 
‘ yodels' through the valleys and from the 
hillsides as they drive their sheep and 
cows and their herds of goats to and from 
the pastures.” 

“ What ’s a ‘ yodel ,’ Auntie ?” from Lad- 
die. 

“ What a funny name ! ” from Lassie. 

“A ‘ yodel ’ is a musical call, or song, 
which is, I believe, only heard in Switzer- 
land, — or rather I should say, instead, 
belongs in its origin to Switzerland, — and 
the singer has a way of breaking his voice 
into echoes which fly about like invisible 
birds , as I used to say to Papa, and make 
a most fascinating combination of sounds. 
I really don’t know how to describe it to 
you children, but you must be content to 
know that a 1 yodel' is — a ‘ yodel] and 
that is all the description / know how to 
give. Well, sometimes when Papa and I 


138 Lassie and Laddie 

would be walking about the roads, high 
up the mountainsides, and would stop 
here and there to look down upon the 
beautiful valley scenes below, we could 
hear the faint, sweet echoes of the ‘ yodels ’ 
as they floated up from the valley, and we 
knew the peasants were calling their flocks, 
and to each other, or, lying stretched out 
at their ease in some sunny little nook, 
were amusing themselves and passing 
away the time by singing and sending 
their merry echoes around the hillsides. 
I used to linger long to hear the yodel- 
ling, and it sometimes seems as though I 
can hear those sweet echoes even yet, 
after all the years. 

“ Another thing I used to like to listen 
to, and that was the morning and evening 
music of the cow-bells. Early in the 
morning, as I lay in bed in the little Swiss 
hotel, and long before it was time for me 
to be up and dressing, I could hear, at 
first, a faint, musical sound which did n’t 


Another Bed-time Story 139 

seem like a tune, but more like scales 
running up and down, as you ’ve heard me 
do on the piano. Then little by little the 
music would become a tinkle-tinkle-tinkle, 
growing clearer and more distinct, and 
finally singing me the song of cow-bells, 
and I knew the cows, perhaps ten or 
twelve, and often more than that, were 
coming down the road to the pastures 
beneath the hills, and as the tones and 
sizes of the bells were different, of course 
they gave out a musical sort of jangle, 
not at all unpleasant to my ears, and 
quite a welcome sound in fact, though 
papa, Lassie, used to say he thought there 
was more noise than music about it, be- 
cause you see, he did n’t enjoy losing his 
second morning nap. Well, at five o’clock 
every afternoon, I could hear the same 
distant tinkling echoes again, and little by 
little the sound grew into the same 
musical scales, and then turned into cow- 
bells, jangling, dangling, and swinging 


140 


Lassie and Laddie 


with the slow, plodding gait of the dear 
old cows coming home to their milking 
yards, while the cowboys plodded behind, 
whistling or yodelling merrily along the 
way. There now, look at that clock ! I 
must stop short right here, and — here ’s 
a good-night kiss, my bonny Laddie, and — 
here ’s another, my bonny Lassie. Good- 
night — sweet dreams ! ” and away went 
mamma in a hurry, as the maid Sally 
announced a caller who w r as waiting below. 




CHAPTER XIV 

FUN FOR THE “ FRESH-AIRS ” 

Hr HE next morning saw Mamma making 
1 her promised candy over the kitchen 
fire, helped by Sally, who adored all chil- 
dren, and Lassie and Laddie especially. 

Our little couple had started right after 
breakfast for Mrs. Spencer’s house, to 
unfold to her the wonderful plan of the 
“fun for the ‘ Fresh-airs,’ ” and as the day 
itself was about as perfect as a day could 
possibly be made, it was hoped that every- 
thing would go smoothly. Of course 
Laddie and Lassie were going on the hay- 
ride also, and were counting on a jolly 
good time, and they had generously 
decided not to eat the leastest little bit of 


142 


Lassie and Laddie 


the candy themselves, but to let the 
“Fresh-airs” have every single bit of it. 

“I’m having such a be-jj^wtiful time here 
being your birthday present ! ” said Laddie, 
as he skipped along the way, while Lassie 
kept beside him on her dancing little feet, 
and their clasped hands were swinging to 
and fro in time to the singing of their little 
hearts. 

“ So ’m I ! ” replied Lassie, “ and it does 
seem ’s if it keeps growing more beautiful 
every day ! ” 

Well, they reached Mrs. Spencer’s gate 
at last, and there were the “ Fresh-airs,” 
playing about on the grass and having 
such a good time that they did n’t notice 
when our little folks went up to the porch. 
Mrs. Spencer was very glad to see them, 
and listened with pleasure to their plan 
concerning the hay ride. She thanked 
the little cousins for their generous desire 
to make her “ Fresh-airs” happy, and she 
told them to be sure and thank Mamma, 


Fun for the “ Fresh-Airs 


143 


for her , for troubling to make the candy 
for her little guests and thus add to the 
afternoon’s pleasure. 

Then Lassie and Laddie started home 
again, after he had politely lifted his 
little cap to Mrs. Spencer and thanked 
her for liking the plan so much. As they 
went by the group of children near the 
gate, one of them, recognizing Laddie, 
called out, “ Hello ! ” and Laddie look- 
ing back replied, “ Hello, back again ! 
Say, boy, you and the rest of you Fresh- 
airs are going to have a jolly time this 
afternoon. Hi ! won’t you like the fun ! ” 

With that the children came running 
towards Laddie, and asking questions, but 
he said he could n’t tell them then, “ ’cause 
they must be s 'prised at the good time 
when it came,” and then he and Lassie 
ran down the road as fast as they could. 

When they reached home the peanut 
taffy was all made, and cooling in the 
big pans in the ice-chest, and Mamma 


1 44 


Lassie and Laddie 


was quietly darning a frayed place in a 
pair of Laddie ’s little trousers. 

“O Auntie, Auntie!” cried he glee- 
fully, “ she thinks it ’s going to be fun, 
too, Mrs. Spencer does; and she says to 
thank you for her, ’cause of your candy , 
and — and it ’s good for the ‘ Fresh-airs ’ ! 
hurrah ! ” 

When dinner was finished, Lassie and 
Laddie perched themselves in their favor- 
ite positions on the gate-posts, and watched 
for Mr. J ones. It was half-past one o’clock, 
and the sun was doing its best to honor 
the occasion, by glimmering about, chas- 
ing the shadows, and dancing under 
the trees like tiny golden fairies. It 
was n’t a bit too warm a day, but just 
warm enough to make one love the sum- 
mer-time, you know, and Farmer Jones 
came along in due time, with his hay- 
wagon full to overflowing with hay, and 
his big heart full to the brim with good 
nature and kindliness. 


Fun for the “Fresh-Airs” 145 

“ All ready, eh ?” he said ; “all aboard 
then, and — Oh, how do, ma ’am,” — waving 
his hand to Mrs. Kearney, who came down 
to the gate with the box of candy neatly 
tied. 

“You’re doing a very kind thing, 
Mr. Jones,” she said, with a smile, as she 
stooped to kiss her little folks good-bye. 
“ I think it will be a treat of pleasure 
which those little city waifs will not soon 
forget. I ’m sure they will vote you 
thanks and cheers at the close of the 
afternoon.” 

The farmer smiled. “ Sho now,” he 
said, “ I like fun as much as the 
youngsters, an’ I ain’t got a thing on 
hand I ’d like better to do than please 
these ’ere little folks o ’ yourn to-day.” 

So with a wave of their hands and 
shouts of joy from Laddie and Lassie, 
they started on their good time. 

The farmer had put his yoke of oxen 
before the hay-wagon this time, instead of 


146 Lassie and Laddie 

old Dobbin, and the children soon learned 
to call “ haw,” and “ gee,” just as he did, 
as the big brown creatures plodded clum- 
sily along over the uneven road. Every 
now and then a rough jolt of the cart 
would pitch the children about in the 
hay, but that only added to the fun of 
the ride, even when once Laddie went 
sliding gently over the back of the cart, 
enveloped in a nest of hay, and landed on 
his back in the middle of the road, not 
one bit the worse for his experience. 

Well, by the time the Spencer cottage 
was reached, behold! all the little “ Fresh- 
airs ” were gathered at the gate, and wait- 
ing the arrival of the wagon. 

They had never before known the joys 
of a real country hay-ride, and they were 
not slow in clambering into that pile of 
hay you may be sure. 

But alas ! when they were all in, it 
seemed too crowded for complete comfort, 
so after a moment of quiet thought little 


Fun for the “ Fresh-Airs 


147 


Lassie jumped down to the ground, and 
of course Laddie speedily followed. 

“ What yer gittin’ out for ? ” cried the 
farmer, who would rather have been over- 
crowded than have his favorites stay be- 
hind. 

“ Lassie says it ’s too full ! ” replied 
Laddie, “ ’n’ I won’t go if she does n’t.” 

“We don’t mind!” piped Lassie, with 
a little tone of disappointment in her voice 
she could n’t hide, “ ’cause we can go any 
time, you know ! ” 

Laddie was not so ready to give up his 
ride as he knew he ought to be, but he 
felt that he must stand by his little cousin 
in all things, and so he swallowed a lump 
in his throat, while he cried, “ Hurrah for 
the Fresh-airs, and the hay-ride ! and hur- 
rah for Farmer Jones !” 

The group of little ones in the hay-cart 
declared there was room enough, and the 
good old farmer scolded because he 
could n’t have his little chums with him. 


148 


Lassie and Laddie 


But it was such a small wagon, and it 
really was full of human freight already, 
as Mrs. Spencer could see, and she agreed 
that Lassie was doing right, and Laddie, 
too. So the children on the hay and the 
children on the ground cried good-bye to 
each other. To be sure, Lassie had a few 
little tears to be winked off her lashes, and 
Laddie had an uncomfortable feeling in 
his throat that he had to swallow, but 
when Mrs. Spencer presently called to 
them that she had found another “ Fresh- 
air ” rhyme amongst some scrap-book 
clippings, which she would read to them 
if they cared to hear it, they turned 
around with sweet little faces all clear and 
sunny again, and ran to sit beside her on 
the porch. 

“ Mamma reads things to us this way,” 
said Lassie, “ sometimes. It sounds good 
to hear reading out on piazzas, and — O 
Laddie Lee ! ” turning suddenly to the 
little boy — “are n’t you dreadfully ’shamed ? 


Fun for the “ Fresh-Airs ” 


149 


We have n’t once remembered to tell Mrs. 
Spencer how we liked that nice rhyme she 
gave us the other day ! ” 

“ I ’m glad you liked it, dearies,” said 
Mrs. Spencer ; “ and now listen, and see if 
you don’t like this one even better, for 
this is a little story in rhyme.” 

THE LITTLE GIRL OF THE FRESH- 
AIR FUND 

It was little she knew of the sweet green grass 
And the wonderful wealth of clover 
Which, far away from the city's streets, 

Were spreading the broad fields over. 

Yet blue her eyes as the summer skies, 

And as sunny her tangled hair 
As the goldenest sunbeam ever sent 
To lie on the earth so fair. 

What wonder she opened her blue eyes wide 
When she learned one happy day 
That she and many a child beside 
Were to travel far away — 

“ To the fairy-land where daisies grew, 

And the roads were soft and green! ” 

What wonder her heart o’erflowed with joy, 

For the glad thing to be seen! 


Lassie and Laddie 


150 

Old Farmer John on the platform stood 
When the train came in at last, 

And the “ waif ” he was going to keep awhile, 

He held in his strong arms fast. 

“ For it ’s never a chick nor child have I,” 

Said he to the agent then, 

“ An’ jest as true as the skies are blue, 

I ’ll be good to this gal! Amen! ” 

So he carried her home to his pleasant farm, 

And he — turned her out to grass — 

With a kiss and a laugh. And the sun and wind 
Made free with the little lass, 

And kissed her cheeks till they blushed as red 
As the reddest rose that grew; 

And fun and mischief at last peeped out 
From the once sad eyes of blue. 

“ Dear Friend/’ said a letter from Farmer John, 
“ There 's no two ways about it; 

This farm ’s got used to this wee gal’s laugh, 
And it jest can’t live without it. 

Why, bless yer soul! it would do ye good 
To watch the chick each day 
A-turnin’ the old place upside down 
Along of her happy play! 

An’ me an’ my wife, we don’t see how 
There ’s anythin’ else to do 


Fun for the “ Fresh-Airs 


151 


But jest hold on to the leetle gal, 

An’ keep her fer good an’ true. 

An’ I reckon the blessed child that lives 
With the angels in the skies 

Won’t mind if this leetle new one stays 
To wipe the tears from our eyes. 

And the mother who died an’ left this gal 
Perhaps, in the angel-land, 

Will find my little one, and be glad, 

A-watchin’ us , hand in hand. 

So now, whatever there is to do, 

Jest write it fer me to sign; 

An’ may Heaven keep blessin* the ‘ Fresh-Air 
Fund,’ 

An 'your work as well as mine.” 

“Now, what do you think of that?” 
asked Mrs. Spencer, smiling, as she 
watched the earnest little faces turned up 
to her. 

“ Why! it seems the loveliest thing in 
the world for that nice old farmer to keep 
that little girl,” exclaimed Lassie, “ and it 
is such a nice rhyme-story I — I wish my 
dear Mamma could read it.” 

“Your dear Mammal// read it, dearie, 


152 Lassie and Laddie 

and I ’ll make the clipping a present to 
you now, to take home with you.” 

“ And — and the little girl did n’t have 
to go back to the hot places in the city 
any more, did she ? ” said Laddie; “ and she 
could be just the same as though she were 
the farmer’s real own little girl, and he — 
he knew the little girl that had really been 
his and had died would be glad the other 
little girl was going to keep him from be- 
ing lonely ?” 

“Yes, darling, that was so, and I 
should n’t wonder if a great many kind 
people all over the world were doing the 
same kind thing that Farmer John did. 
Now let us go out and see the goldfish in 
the little pond behind the house ; don’t 
you want to ? ” 

“Yes, ma’am,” replied Laddie; but he 
seemed to be thinking about something 
very intently, for his little face was seri- 
ous, and he got up from his seat slowly. 
Presently he said, “ I s’pose ladies can do 


Fun for the “Fresh-Airs” 


1 53 


so, too, if they ’re lonely and — and — if 
they ’ve lost little boys ? ” 

Mrs. Spencer clasped Laddie’s hand 
tightly. “You are thinking of me, Lad- 
die, are n’t you ? Yes, a great many ladies 
adopt children for their own; but it is n’t 
always possible, and there are a great 
many things to be considered before one 
takes such a step. / must help the little 
ones to be happy in other ways, and after 
this I shall always hope to have some 
children here at times during the summer, 
and give them as good a time as possible. 
See ! there goes our Lassie, running way 
ahead of us; let us see if we can reach the 
pond first ! ” 




CHAPTER XV 

laddie’s “ FLY-AWAY DAY ” 

'THE “hay-riders” had returned before 
1 Laddie and Lassie were ready to 
leave Mrs. Spencer’s house, so the farmer 
— loaded down with thanks from the little 
Fresh-airs, and their ringing chorus of 
cheers for him (which I suspect the lady 
had suggested to the children) — had tossed 
our little cousins on top of his load, and 
started up the road towards the Kearney 
cottage. He had told them how the 
“ Fresh-airs ” had enjoyed and made away 
with the candy, and how he himself had 
“ done some pretty fair sampling of it, 
an’ found it ’bout as tasty eatin’ as he ’d 
ever tried.” And he told them all the 


154 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 155 

particulars of the ride, and made them 
shout with laughter when he described a 
funny mishap that had befallen little 
Sammy, one of the brightest of the group, 
and indeed the farmer’s favorite of them 
all. Little Sammy had once seen a circus 
parade in the streets of the city, and his 
admiration for the man who had ridden 
two horses at a time, standing on their 
backs, had been unbounded at the time 
of his seeing it, and had continued to 
linger in his memory. So in the fulness 
of his fun on the hay-ride, at a moment 
when Mr. Jones had left the cart just for 
an instant, the little rogue had let himself 
down to the tongue of the cart, and call- 
ing upon the other children to “ jes’ watch 
an’ see what he could do! ” he had climbed 
upon the back of one of the oxen, and 
then with much effort had succeeded in 
standing with one foot upon each animal. 
So far all was well for Sammy, but when 
presently the oxen moved restlessly, each 


Lassie and Laddie 


156 

a little apart from the other, Sammy, of 
course, with a cry that had no fun in it, 
slipped between the oxen, and if it had 
not been that he brought up astride of the 
tongue of the cart he might have fared 
badly. As it was, he bumped himself 
pretty sorely, and was glad to be lifted 
by Farmer Jones back to his soft nest in 
the hay again, while the children laughed 
at and made fun of him teasingly. 

The farmer had told this in such a 
funny way that it made great fun for 
Laddie and Lassie, and they stored it 
away with other good things to relate to 
the mamma at home, who had no idea — 
of course — that her own little people had 
missed their anticipated pleasure after all. 
She would be very sorry, they knew, when 
she learned of their disappointment. 

“ We need n’t tell her, you know,” sug- 
gested Laddie, “ and then she won’t feel 
badly.” 

“ Why, Laddie Lee ! ” exclaimed Lassie, 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 157 

surprised; “ I always tell Mamma my sor- 
rowful things same as my glad things, 
and — and it ’s nice to be comforted by 
her, you see. So I shall tell her all ’bout 
our not going on the hay-ride.” 

“ All right,” said Laddie ; “ and now 
let ’s show Mr. Jones that rhyme Mrs. 
Spencer gave us.” 

The farmer read it, and liked it so much 
that he read it again, and pronounced it 
“an all ’round good thing!” with an em- 
phasis which pleased the children, and 
Laddie declared that “ when he was a man, 
he would keep a ‘ Fresh-air,’ too.” 

Then the cottage was reached, and it 
was n’t long before the day had slipped 
away and hidden itself in the soft evening 
shadows. The children had been de- 
prived of their story at bedtime, which 
was even more of a disappointment to 
them, I think, than the loss of the 
hay-ride had been. But some friends 
had called on Mamma, and so, of 


Lassie and Laddie 


158 

course, there had been no time for the 
story. 

And now another day had come, and 
the breakfast was over and Laddie sat 
rather disconsolately and all by himself on 
the top step of the piazza. His elbows 
were on his knees and his chin was hidden 
in the palms of his hands, while a little 
frown had puckered his forehead in an 
unusual way for fully ten minutes. 

What was the matter with Laddie ? 
Why, poor little Lassie, for a great won- 
der, had a headache that morning, and 
mamma thought a good rest in her shady 
little room, with a wet bandage on the 
little aching head, would surely bring re- 
lief by dinner-time. So Laddie was won- 
dering what kind of play would seem the 
right kind without his Lassie to help him 
enjoy it. Thus far he had tried tossing 
ball, and swinging on the low apple-tree 
bough across the road ; and he had tried 
to see how many times he could jump 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 159 

over a rather wide little brook which ran 
along through the big meadow near by. 
He had never thought to try that before, 
somehow, and he meant to tell Lassie by 
and by what fun it was. But alas ! at the 
very first effort his feet slipped from the 
opposite bank and down went Laddie into 
the brook, getting shoes and stockings so 
wet that he had to go to Auntie and be 
made comfortable again. 

So it had seemed really hopeless to 
even try and be happy without Lassie, 
and that was why he was found by his 
Auntie sitting so disconsolately on the 
piazza step, when presently she came out 
of the house and began to attend to her 
vines, which were climbing about so pret- 
tily over the trellis. 

“ Can’t you find anything to do, dearie ? ” 
she asked. 

“ Oh, that is n’t it ! ” was the reply. 
“ There ’s lots to do, only I sha’ n’t do 
’em one bit ’thout Lassie ! That ’s the 


Lassie and Laddie 


i bo 

worstest of being girls ; they have 
headaches ! ” 

Auntie laughed. “ Maybe boys have 
them, too, if you knew all about it,” she said. 
“ Does n’t Papa sometimes complain of a 
headache, as well as Mamma, Laddie boy?” 

“ Ye-es,” agreed Laddie reluctantly, “but 
I guess girls have ’em more than boys. 
What did make Lassie have one to-day, 
Auntie, do you s’pose?” 

“ Too much playing in the sun, perhaps, 
for the last few days. But, cheer up, dear, 
it will soon pass away, and very likely by 
afternoon Lassie will be her bright little 
self again. Can’t you take a run to the 
post-office for Auntie and see if it won’t 
help time fly a little faster ? ” 

“ Go all that way ’thout Lassie ? ” ex- 
claimed the little boy in surprise, the frown 
growing deeper between his eyes. “ O 
Auntie ! ” 

“ Not unless you want to, darling ; but 
if you should happen to feel like it, there ’s 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 1 6 1 

a letter on the hall table that you can post 
for me, dear.” 

Then she went on with her work, pick- 
ing off a dead leaf here and there and fas- 
tening up a straying vine-tendril, while 
Laddie watched her gloomily a few mo- 
ments and then got up and went into the 
house and up the staircase softly. Auntie 
knew he would not make any noise ; she 
could trust Laddie for that, even though 
it was plain to be seen that he was rather 
a cross little Laddie just then — such an 
unusual thing that she was sure it would n’t 
last long. 

Meantime, Laddie tiptoed softly to the 
door of Lassie’s little room and peeped in 
anxiously. There lay Lassie sound asleep, 
with the wet bandage on her forehead and 
her sunny hair in all directions about the 
pillow. Her dear little face looked pale, 
and a grieved expression about the droop- 
ing little mouth told of her having had a 
pretty hard time with the poor head. 

ii 


Lassie and Laddie 


1 62 

Laddie was greatly troubled and full of 
sympathy. So much sympathy, in fact, 
that it completely drove out of him every 
atom of crossness that had betrayed itself 
shortly before. He looked at his dear 
little sleeping cousin and shook his head. 

“ No ! she worit be her bright little self 
by afternoon at all, for all Auntie b’lieves 
so ! But — Lassie has got a real true head- 
ache, sure ’nough, ’cause she would n’t be 
wasting time from play, if she had n’t.” 

Then he went down-stairs, saw Auntie’s 
letter lying on the table, felt ashamed to 
think he had n’t been willing to go to the 
post-office, and, putting it in his pocket, 
decided to surprise Auntie ; so running 
through the kitchen, went by the back path 
to the main road, and started for the 
post-office in a better frame of mind, after 
all. 

To be sure the walk was lonely without 
Lassie, and when he passed the place 
where the cross old gobbler lived, he ran 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 163 

like the wind, because he did n’t feel quite 
so brave without Lassie as when with her, 
right on that especial spot. 

But Mr. Gobbler was nowhere about, 
so Laddie went on his way in peace. 

The letter was mailed, and Laddie 
started home again. He did n’t want to 
hurry , because there was no use getting 
home so soon while Lassie was in bed 
and could n’t have fun with him. So he 
loitered along the way, and when he saw 
some big boys — so big that they were 
almost men — doing something with a kite, 
in a distant field, he had the curiosity to 
climb over the stone wall and run in their 
direction. He thought it was queer for 
such big fellows to be playing with kites, 
just as though they were little boys, and 
he wondered why they all took hold of it 
at once. 

When he reached them, he opened his 
eyes wide as saucers, and not only said 
“ Gee ! ” but added “ Whoopee ! ” to it so 


164 Lassie and Laddie 

loudly that the young men looked at him 
with a laugh. 

“ Never saw such a big kite before, eh, 
youngster ? ” said one of them. And 
Laddie shyly acknowledged that he never, 
never had ! And no wonder he was sur- 
prised. The kite was so large that if it 
had been hung upon the door of his 
auntie’s woodshed, he was positive it 
would have covered nearly all of the 
door, and I think Laddie was about right. 
It was a very large kite, and was made of 
cloth — cotton cloth, I mean to say, — and its 
tail was so long that it looked like a great 
snake trailing about on the ground. Lad- 
die looked at the kite with great respect 
and admiration, and longed to see it fly. 

Presently the young men sent it up, 
after some little trouble, and oh ! how 
that big kite pulled and tugged at the 
string as the young man who held it 
called to a companion to help him. 

It was a fine sight for little Laddie, 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 165 

who had seen only the small kites which 
the youngsters in his neighborhood at 
home had played with sometimes. He 
could n’t really believe, though, in spite 
of what he saw, that it was necessary for 
two people to hold that string, and he 
just wished he “could have a try at it.” 
His chance for a “try” came soon, for 
the young men tied the kite-string to a 
tree, and, asking Laddie if he would mind 
keeping an eye upon it, they went off to 
get something from a shed near by. Lad- 
die was delighted, and you may be sure 
he did n’t wait a moment after their backs 
were turned before he ran to that tree 
and tried to unfasten the kite-string. 

While the young men were hunting for 
what they wanted to find in the shed, 
Laddie succeeding in freeing the string 
from the tree, and took a good hold of 
the thick piece of wood which was fastened 
to it. 

But whatever pleasure he had expected 


Lassie and Laddie 


1 66 

to gain from his “ try at it ” was speedily 
lost in the fright he experienced when the 
big kite at once lifted the little fellow’s 
light weight from the ground, and pulled 
him helplessly along. 

It was fortunate for Laddie that the 
owners of the kite were just then returning 
from the shed, for they heard his screams, 
and saw him being lifted from his feet, 
and fearing lest he might loosen his hold 
and get a tumble, and also fearing for the 
safety of their kite, you may be sure they 
did some swift running just then. 

Laddie was too confused and frightened 
to dare let go of the string, or the young 
men would have seen their kite soaring 
away in its sudden freedom far beyond 
their reach, sure enough. He held on to 
the piece of wood which secured the stout 
cord with a clutch that saved him from a 
tumble, but his little kicking feet were 
rising higher above the ground with every 
second of time, and when the young men 



THE “FLY-AWAY DAY.” Page 1 66 























































Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 167 

reached him they had to pull him down by 
his legs. 

Do you wonder that Laddie was so 
frightened that the very moment he felt 
himself upon firm earth again he sank 
down in a forlorn little heap and began 
to cry, not even caring who might think 
him a “girl-boy” ? 

“ There, little man, don’t cry,” said one 
of the kite owners, patting Laddie’s shoul- 
der, “and be thankful we were near to 
pull you down, my small chap.” 

“You might have flown up to the sun, 
you know,” laughed another. 

“ And then your daddy would have had 
to pay us for the loss of our kite,” another 
said, with a laugh in his eyes. 

But Laddie did n’t see any joke in the 
matter. He drew his arm across his eyes, 
and drew also a very long breath, and 
finally exclaimed : 

“ I hate — I just hate such big old kites ! 
and I think, I do ! that you ’re meaner ’n 


Lassie and Laddie 


1 68 

mean, to make fun of a little boy who only 
wanted just to have a try at your kite ! ” 
Then he got up, and ran as fast as his 
trembling little limbs would carry him, 
across the field to the stone wall by the 
road. There he sat down to rest, and get 
quite through with tears, and to watch, 
from his safe distance, the way that kite 
shot up to the clouds and wagged its long 
tail, as the strong hands of the young men 
held the string. 

“It’s been a sort of fly-away day,” 
thought he, as he at last slipped over the 
wall and turned his steps homeward. “ A 
reg’lar fly-away day and no mistake ! but 
whiz / was n’t I scared ! ” 

Well, the consolation of it all was that 
he would have a brand new and startling 
tale to relate to Auntie and Lassie, and 
he thought Lassie would be “ sorry she 
went and had a headache and missed all 
the fun.” 

But then, if Lassie had not had that 


Laddie’s “ Fly-away Day ” 1 69 

headache, Laddie would not, in all prob- 
ability, have been farther away from home 
than the distance of the meadow over the 
way, where he and his little cousin were 
fond of playing at their own sweet little 
wills, and where they, and the bees, and 
the butterflies, and the birdies as well, 
yes, and the sunbeams and the breezes, 
had everything just exactly as they wanted 
it, and not even Mamma ventured to inter- 
fere. 

So Laddie felt that, after all, Lassie’s 
headache had been rather a good thing 
for him, because it had brought about, 
you understand, this new and wonderful 
experience, which was all his very own 
funny time, and he would have the tell- 
ing of it all himself, “ ’thout Lassie wanting 
her turn in telling things ! ” 

Well, he reached home at last, and 
there was Lassie sitting on the porch, 
looking like herself again, and the head- 
ache “all gone for good.” 


Lassie and Laddie 


170 

Then you should have heard Laddie 
tell his story ! Oh, he made a very thrill- 
ing affair of it, and pictured it just as 
he felt was exactly the case — for you 
see his fright had made it seem much 
more of a terrible matter than it really 
had happened to be, and he described to 
the horrified Lassie how it seemed as 
though “ the kite was a great big bird, 
and had grabbed him in its claws,” and 
was flying — flying — flying up and up! 
and he knew he was going to bump 
against the clouds in a minute, and 
then 

“You see, Lassie, those men came and 
reached up high — I s’pose they stood on 
tippy-toe — and they caught me just in 
time, and — and — well, I had some tears , 
’cause I felt so queer, and the men made 
me — those men were so rude / you can’t 
think — and they laughed at me, and I saw 
’em wink their eyes at each other, and — I 
just told ’em plain as could be, that I 


Laddie’s “Fly-away Day” 171 

hated their old kite, and then I ran away : 
and — and, now you never had such a 
funny thing as a fly-away day , Lassie 
Kearney ! ” 

Lassie sadly confessed that Laddie was 
one good time ahead of her, and she 
meant — but that was in her own secret 
thoughts — to watch out when his head- 
ache turn came — and she 'd do some- 
thing that would let her catch up with 
him. 

When Auntie came along presently 
Laddie had to tell his tale all over, and if 
he had thought she would be truly sur- 
prised, he thought just right, for she cer- 
tainly was, and she made a serious matter 
of it by making Laddie promise never 
to go off the road again when coming 
alone from the post-office, nor to go near 
strange boys in distant fields, nor be 
tempted to meddle with other people’s 
affairs. 

“Why, only suppose what might have 


1 72 


Lassie and Laddie 


happened if that big strong kite had ac- 
tually pulled you far enough from the 
ground to have finally let you fall ! and — 
what if the little arm or leg had been 
broken ! O Laddie / ” 

She ended with a kiss and a hug, and 
Laddie felt that never again would he be 
tempted to “ try ” things he knew nothing 
about, such as “ leap-frog,” and “ great big 
kites.” And Lassie said with a little 
giggle that — she rather guessed she 
did n’t want any broken “ birthday pre- 
sent,” and if he had let go the string, and 
if the kite had been high up as high , then 
— oh, then her birthday present would 
have “ gone all to smash, and be no use 
to her at all.” 

They both giggled at that, and then 
Laddie ran off to get himself washed and 
brushed and ready for the dinner-bell 
when it should presently call them to the 
table. 



CHAPTER XVI 


AT THE “BED-HOUR” 

HAT night there were no interrup- 



tions at the bed-hour, and Mamma 
produced the familiar envelope in due 


time. 


“ Now then, it is Laddie’s turn,” said 
she as she held the open envelope before 
him. 

“ Well, you ’ve selected a scene in one 
of Holland’s quaint cities,” she continued, 
as Laddie held up the photograph he had 
drawn out. 

“ It ’s got a cunning little wagon and a 
big nice dog for a horse,” said Laddie, de- 
scribing the picture for Lassie, “ and a big 
soldier man doing something with the 


i74 


Lassie and Laddie 


wagon, and some queer women with funny 
caps, and ” 

“ I want to see for my own self,” cried 
Lassie, sitting up in bed and holding out 
her hand. Mamma carried the photograph 
over to her. 

“Well, Mamma, it doesn’t look as 
though the Hollanders are kind people to 
little dogs, does it?” Lassie exclaimed. 
“Jus’ think of making little dogs drag big 
can wagons like that ! ” 

“ There are queer customs in that little 
country,” replied her mother, “ and this is 
one of them, though it is not so cruel as you 
fancy. Dogs are kept busy in useful ways 
in this little Dutch city, but it does n’t 
harm them to drag small milk-carts. Y ou 
see, dear, the people are very particular 
about the quality of the milk they drink, 
and the milkmen there can’t sell, or be 
allowed to handle at all, any milk that 
has been in danger of impurity in any 
form ; and as for watering the milk, as 



MILK-WAGON IN HOLLAND Page 174 





























' ■ 










































































At the “ Bed-Hour 


175 


the dishonest milkmen in our cities are 
doing half the time, to make quantity serve 
instead of quality — they must have the 
richest and best and purest of milk for 
their customers, or they would have to pay 
a heavy fine. 

“ Now that man in uniform who is 
standing at the wagon-side is a milk in- 
spector, and there are a number of them, 
too. They keep their eyes — very sharp 
eyes they are — open wide when they see 
the milk-carts going on their rounds, and 
they stop the milkman, or the milkwoman, 
and use a little instrument called a 4 milk- 
tester,' to see if the milk to be sold is per- 
fectly pure. I saw a great many of those 
little milk-wagons in the streets, as I 
passed through some parts of Holland, 
and they were just like this in the picture. 
They were drawn about by a woman and 
a dog, sometimes, and sometimes by two 
little doggies trotting along contentedly, 
while the woman walked behind or at the 


176 


Lassie and Laddie 


side of the cart, which carried clean, 
shiny milk-cans, set in as closely as possi- 
ble together, as in this picture. Some- 
times, too, I have seen a woman and dog 
harnessed together, as it were, drawing a 
milk-cart. They get inside of two pro- 
jecting bars, with a cross-piece joining the 
ends, and doggie is fastened inside by 
straps which connect with the bars, or, as 
in some cases, are attached to the body of 
the cart, and the woman gets in beside 
him, and while the little dog pulls , the 
woman seems to be pushing , for the hori- 
zontal, or level , bar is pressed against her 
waist (and the waist of a peasant woman 
in Holland, I can tell you, would make 
two or three of your mamma’s waists, 
Laddie). They are strong, stout, active 
women, and kind-hearted and pleasant, 
and I should n’t wonder if some of those 
hard-worked, patient women-toilers were 
really smarter and better workers than 
their husbands. 


At the “ Bed-Hour 


1 77 


“Well, I do not think I can tell you 
any more about this little picture, chil- 
dren, at least that would interest you, and 
I guess you would better shut up your 
little peepers and go to sleep now.” 

A chorus of “ Oh, no ’s ! ” was the reply 
to that suggestion, and Mamma smiled. 

“ You must have full measure, must you, 
then?” she said. “But I can’t do any 
more with this subject, so shall we draw 
another picture ? ” 

“ No, Mamma ! that must not come out 
of its turn, and we want it to-morrow 
night. Please tell us a make-up story ! ” 

“ O yes, Auntie, do ! please do ! ” from 
Laddie, “just a teenty one, ’cause truly it 
has n’t come our sleepy-time yet.” 

“ Dear me, children, I am not clever 
enough to-night to ‘ make-up ’ anything, 
but — wait ! I ’ll see if I have my old 
scrap-book on the closet shelf ; I think 
there are some nice little poems in it 
which are clippings from various papers 


i ;8 


Lassie and Laddie 


and magazines. . . . Ah, yes, here it 

is. Now if we were telling about one of 
the Italian pictures to-night, here ’s a 
story, popping up this minute, about a 
little Italian boy, only the scene of the 
story isn’t laid in Italy, you see, but in 
the city of Boston. Boston is where ? 
Laddie, do you know, even though you 
are n’t a real little schoolboy yet ?” 

“ Huh ! Guess I know where that is fast 
’nough. Every little girl ’n’ boy knows 
Boston ’s a beautiful, lovely city, ’cause 
my Mamma’s cousin Dora says so, and — 
and she lives in Boston, you know, and it 
’s in Mass' choooosetts ! Course I know.” 

“ Right, Laddie ; and now you ’ve fin- 
ished your geography lesson, we ’ll see 
what Beppo — that is the name of the 
little Italian boy — has to do with Boston, 
in America, instead of one of his own 
Italian cities. Are you ready now? 
Well, here’s the story about little Beppo 
and his dog.” 


At the “ Bed-hour 


179 


BEPPO AND TONY 

Beppo was a little lad from far-off Italy; 

Poor and friendless, ragged, cold, and hungry, oft 
was he. 

Tony was young Beppo’s dog, large and shaggy- 
haired, 

And all his master’s sorrows he most faithfully had 
shared. 

Beppo peddled pencils every day upon the street, 

But his heart was oft discouraged, and weary were 
his feet, 

And when the evening shadows would softly fall at 
last, 

Full many a time down Beppo’s cheeks the tears 
were raining fast. 

Still, there came days of gladness, when Beppo at 
his stand 

Would change his wares for pennies from some 
kind buyer’s hand. 

And people grew to know him, and give a kindly 
smile 

And kindly word to Beppo, patting Tony’s head 
the while, 

Till the doggie’s eyes grew happy, and he ’d wag 
his bushy tail 

And bark his approbation of the extra pencil sale. 


i8o 


Lassie and Laddie 


There came a day, however, when the little lad 
awoke 

With a head that ached so badly ! and the words 
he faintly spoke 

Went ringing, oh, so loudly within his aching ears 

That the little lad was frightened and faster fell 
his tears. 

And while he lay all helpless upon his old straw bed, 

He stretched his trembling hand out to pat dog 
Tony’s head. 

“ To-morrow ’ll be Thanksgivin,’ old fellow,” then 
said he, 

“ An’ I ’d hoped to get a taste of somethin’ nice 
fer you an’ me. 

But I can’t get out to peddle, an’ what are we to 
do ? 

For in all this great big city, no one cares fer me 
an ’ you / ” 

Dog Tony’s tail wagged slowly, he seemed to 
understand 

That things looked very doleful, as he licked his 
master’s hand. 

Then a sudden thought had Beppo ! — “I ’ll send 
Tony out, and try 

If he can sell my pencils to people passin’ by ! 

They ’ll think he looks so clever; an’ none would 
try to steals 


At the “ Bed-hour 


1 8 1 


For Tony would n’t let ’em; he knows how sick I 
feel ! 

An’ the people maybe ’ll miss me, an’ wonder if 
I ’m sick, 

An’ perhaps they ’ll feel so sorry, they ’ll buy my 
pencils quick.” 

So the little stock of pencils in a box were nicely 
laid, 

And round Tony’s neck he tied it. “ Now, doggie, 
do n’t be ’fraid,” 

He said, while patting Tony. “An,’ see, I ’ll write 
a note, 

An’ the people they will see it a-hangin’ from your 
throat.” 

So poor Beppo printed slowly a little note, which 
read — 

“ Deer peepul, I am sick with a bad pane in my 
hed, 

So Tony, he'll sell pencils, an’ won’t you plese to 
be 

So kind as to put pennies in the pencil box fer 
me?” 

Then he kissed his doggie’s nose, and pointed to 
the door, 

Saying, “ Tony, go sell pencils, where you ’ve 
been with me before.” 


Lassie and Laddie 


182 

Tony seemed to comprehend, for he trotted fast 
away, 

To the very stand where Beppo sold his pencils 
every day. 

There he gravely took position, and waited pa- 
tiently 

Till his master’s friends in passing, the little note 
should see. 

Well, the people laughed at Tony, and patted his 
big head. 

“ Ho ! you are a clever fellow ! we will buy of you,” 
they said. 

And they bought full many a pencil they did n’t 
want at all, 

Till dog Tony’s stock kept growing, I ’m glad to 
say, quite small. 

But — if a naughty urchin tried within the box to 
peep, 

An ugly growl from Tony made the boys at 
distance keep. 

And they did n’t dare to linger, while Tony’s teeth 
were seen, 

Since he knew his special business, and eyes and 
ears were keen. 

Well, at last the box grew heavy and dog Tony 
trotted home, 


At the “ Bed-hour ” 183 

Not liking from his master any longer thus to 
roam. 

Oh ! how the pennies jingled, as he sped with 
eager feet 

To the master who had trusted him with sales 
upon the street ! 

But — not alone went Tony; a kind stranger followed 
him, 

For Beppo’s plea had touched his heart, and made 
his eyes grow dim; 

And Beppo’s eyes grew bright as Tony greeted 
him once more, 

And introduced the stranger as he stood within 
the door. 

No need to tell what followed, or what kindly 
words were said 

To the lonely little peddler lying there on his 
straw bed. 

His home was then a cellar; but a better one was 
found, 

And Beppo and dog Tony ceased to tramp the 
streets around. 

“ There, how did you like that ?” asked 
the dear Mamma as she closed her scrap- 
book and gave her usual glance at the clock. 


184 


Lassie and Laddie 


Lassie and Laddie thought it very fine, 
and secretly made up their minds to have 
the same sort of thing happen again very 
soon. Then they were kissed and hugged, 
and left to slumber, and Laddie confided 
to Lassie that he hoped he would be sure 
and dream of the boy Beppo — because he 
wanted to know how he and Tony looked. 




CHAPTER XVII 


WHAT LADDIE FOUND IN THE BUSHES 

NE day soon after this, while our little 



couple were skipping about their 
“ playground ” (the field which lay opposite 
the house) and seeing which could hop the 
farthest on one little leg, and after Lassie 
had actually hopped two skips more than 
Laddie, which brought her to a clump of 
bushes alongside of a fence, she heard 
a slight rustling in those bushes, and a 
branch crackled, too, in a mysterious man- 
ner. Lassie at once thought of snakes — 
as children usually do, don’t they ? — and 
with a terrified little shriek, she dropped 
her other foot fast enough to the ground, 
and fled back towards Laddie. 


185 


Lassie and Laddie 


1 86 

“ O, Laddie Lee ! true ’s anything, 
there is a snake in those bushes ! I think 
I heard him breathing ! O, Laddie, 
don’t let ’s play ‘ hop ’ any more ! ” 

Laddie put on a bold air, being the 
boy, you see, and of course feeling that 
even if he was afraid, he was n’t going 
to show it, same ’s he did ’bout the gob- 
bler. 

“ Pooh ! I don’t b’lieve it ! ” he said ; 
“ and you need n’t be so scared, Lassie, 
’cause they won’t dare come over here, 
anyway ! ” 

“ You ’re scared your own self, Laddie 
Lee ! ” replied Lassie, not appreciating her 
cousin’s bold and fearless air, because she 
did n’t have much faith in his courage 
after all. “ You ’re scared at snakes just 
as much ’s / am ! ” 

“All right, Miss Lassie!” replied Lad- 
die, straightening himself like a ramrod. 
“ You watch me ! ” 

Lassie watched him rather anxiously, 


What Laddie found in the Bushes 187 

and saw him get pretty near the bushes, 
and then slow up in his gait, and she knew 
he was losing his courage, in spite of his 
boast. 

But suddenly Laddie gave a little run, 
and Lassie screamed with her fears, for 
there was her dearly loved little companion 
actually stepping into the bushes, and 
when he turned and called out to her, 
with his cheeks dimpling and his eyes 
flashing fun, “ Say, Lassie Kearney ? am 
I ’fraid ? you said I was, but am I, now ? ” 

She cried out admiringly, but with 
plenty of anxiety in her voice beside : 
“No! you are n’t! Oh, Laddie, do — 
do — do come away from the snakes ! Oh, 
I ’m going to call for Mamma if you 
don’t!” 

But, you see, Laddie was playing a little 
trick on Lassie, if only she had guessed 
it. He really had begun to lose courage 
as the distance between him and the sup- 
posed “snakes” grew less, and then, all 


Lassie and Laddie 


of a sudden, the plaintive whine of a little 
dog came to him from the bushes, and he 
knew the snake danger was over. But 
the spirit of mischief in him prompted 
him to “scare Lassie,” and so he boldly 
went amongst the bushes, as I have said. 

When our boy discovered, as he did at 
once, a dear little black-and-tan dog which 
lay on its side on the soft grass, and looked 
imploringly at Laddie, feebly wagging his 
little tail, and yet making no effort to get 
upon his feet, all the mischief went out of 
Laddie, and, running out from the bushes, 
he called “Lassie" at the top of his lungs, 
for she, worried little girl, was hurrying 
off for Mamma. 

“ O, Lassie — Las-seeeee ! ” he shouted, 
and she turned about at last. 

“ Oh, say, Lassie ! come here ! come 
here quick as anything! Here ’s a darling 
little dog! ” 

In a minute Lassie was flying towards 
the bushes, and presently stood beside the 


What Laddie Found in the Bushes 189 

little animal, who still made no effort to 
rise. 

“ Why does n’t he get up, I wonder,” 
said Laddie. “ Hi ! doggie ! good doggie, 
come here, sir ! ” 

He coaxed, and held out his hand, and 
snapped his fingers, but doggie only 
whined and wagged his tail. 

Then Lassie went and knelt down be- 
side the dog, and patted him lovingly, and 
Laddie gently turned him a little to find 
out what was the matter. When the chil- 
dren lifted one of the little slender paws, 
doggie flinched as though it had hurt, and 
then Lassie saw a cruel cut on the little 
foot, as though it had been run over. 

“ There ! that 's what ’s hurting him ! ” 
cried Laddie, “ and he can’t get up ’cause 
it is so sore.” 

“ Let ’s take him to Mamma,” said 
Lassie, “for Mamma cures everything that 
hurts, you know, and she ’ll be so sorry for 
this little doggie.” 


Lassie and Laddie 


190 

So to Mamma went the children with 
their little lame pet, and it was n’t long 
before that poor hurt paw was bathed in 
soothing lotions and carefully bandaged 
by the kind hands of that dear Mamma. 

Then they began to make a “ hospital ” 
for doggie, according to Mamma’s sugges- 
tion, and an old basket was found in the 
woodshed, which Sally lined with a soft 
blanket, and after doggie was laid com- 
fortably upon a sofa cushion which could 
be spared for the purpose, the basket was 
placed in a cosy corner of the woodshed 
and the location named the “ Hospital ” 
by Lassie and Laddie. The sides of the 
basket were very low, and if at any time 
doggie felt like getting out of it he could 
easily do so. 

And now came the questions : “ How 
do you s’pose he got in those bushes, 
Mamma?” and “How do you s’pose he 
hurt his little foot, Auntie?” 

To both of those questions Mamma 



DOGGIE IN THE HOSPITAL. 


Page 190 


















What Laddie Found in the Bushes 191 

could only give a suggestion that prob- 
ably the dog had had his foot run over, or 
had cut it with a piece of sharp stone, and 
had managed to crawl through the rail 
fence which separated the bushes from 
the road around the corner (the main 
roadway made a turn just below the Kear- 
ney cottage and passed along by that 
clump of bushes), and then its foot had 
hurt so that the poor little animal had not 
been able to get any farther, but just 
tumbled down in that soft, cool shady 
spot and waited for somebody to come 
along. 

“ That is only guess-work, dears,” added 
Mamma, “but I can’t imagine any other 
explanation.” 

“Can’t we keep him, Auntie?” — from 
Laddie — “ ’cause you know we don’t know 
where he lives, and he might get hurt 
again.” 

“ But, Laddie, it will not be right for 
us not to try and find out who owns the 


192 Lassie and Laddie 

pretty little fellow, you know ; and no 
doubt he belongs to one of the hotel 
guests. You and Lassie must go to the 
post-office after dinner and ask Mr. Clark 
to put up a notice which I will write, tell- 
ing of the finding of a dog, which the 
owner can have by describing it and prov- 
ing his ownership. In that way doggie 
won’t be claimed by somebody who has 
no right to him, and the real owner will 
soon be found.” 

The children were a little disappointed 
over the idea of having to part with their 
pet, but they knew perfectly well how 
they would feel themselves if doggie were 
their “ truly own ” and somebody else 
found and kept it from them. So after 
dinner they started off with Mamma’s 
notice, and Mr. Clark tacked it up in a 
very conspicuous place in the office. 

It was rather cheering to the children, 
though, when he said that “he had n’t 
heard of any dog being lost, and he 


What Laddie Found in the Bushes 193 

guessed he would have heard if any one 
round Whitford had lost one.” They 
hoped it would happen that the little dog 
might after all stay with them, and Lassie 
said to Laddie that if Mamma had chicken 
for dinner the next day she was going 
to pull the wishbone with him, and they 
must both make the same wish that nobody 
would claim that dear lame dog. 

Well, I can’t tell you how many times 
during the rest of that day the “ Hospital ” 
was visited by our little pair of anxious 
nurses. 

Mamma, too, went often to look at the 
little foot, to see that the bandage was 
still on comfortably and to wet it again 
with the cooling witch hazel. 

And such a grateful little invalid as 
that small black-and-tan was ! His red 
tongue had a kiss ready for each kind 
hand and that slender black tail of his 
always wagged itself joyously when a 
footstep approached the woodshed. 


194 


Lassie and Laddie 


Old Tom, the darkey, who came every 
day to see what Mrs. Kearney might want 
him to do, came along at one time when 
the children were busy over doggie, and 
they told him about how they found the 
little thing, and showed him the bandaged 
paw. 

“ Why! ” said Tom, taking a better look 
at the animal, “ I ’ll wager a cookie dat 
ere ’s de very critter I see down at de 
station airly dis mawnin’, missy. Same 
look ’bout him, ’n’ same size. He was 
racin’ up ’n’ down de platform like he was 
lookin’ for some one, ’n’ I s’posed, an’ 
likely every one else did, too, dat his 
marster was som’eres ’bout, an’ did n’t 
bother no more ’bout him, ’cause I was 
busy. Train went off, ’n’ I see de dog 
once more nosin’ ’round, ’n’ dat ’s de las’ 
I knowed ’bout him.” 

“But where was his master, Tom?” 
asked Lassie, and Tom replied : 

“ Well now, missy, I ’spects dat dog got 


What Laddie Found in the Bushes 195 

sure losted offen dat train what came in 
an’ went out, an’ like ’s not, his marster ’ll 
be sendin’ back fer him — less it mought 
be dat de critter b’longed to one o’ de 
train hands, an’ mebbe, dat bein’ so, dey 
won’t care if he is lost, fer leetle dogs, 
like dis yer, are moughty troublesome, 
you see.” 

“Yes; but, Tom, how do you s’pose he 
got in the bushes over there, and got his 
foot hurt ? ” 

“ ’Spect when he could n’t fin’ no mars- 
ter he jes’ cut an’ run up de road, ’n’ some 
wagin or other run over his paw, ’n’ like 
all animiles do when they ’re hurted, he 
crawled into deni shady bushes troo de 
fence, an’ jes laid down ter wait fer you 
and Marster Laddie ter fin’ him ! ” replied 
Tom with a chuckle, as he lifted doggie’s 
foot and examined it. 

“ Dat ain’t much of a hurt,” said he. 
“ Ain’t no bone bruck, ’n’ in a day or two 
he ’ll be livelier ’n forty crickets ! ” 


196 Lassie and Laddie 

The children were delighted to think 
that nobody in the village would be apt to 
claim their new pet, but they were a good 
deal worried lest whoever lost it from the 
train should send word back about it — 
and then, of course, the stage driver would 
be inquiring along the roads, and — oh, 
dear ! they did not see how they could let 
the dear little doggie go, after they had 
begun to love him so! 

They repeated Tom’s account of the 
dog to Mamma, and she cautioned them 
not to consider that they had the least 
claim upon the lost doggie, until a reason- 
able time for the true owner’s claim had 
passed ; and so, for several days, when the 
little cousins went for Mamma’s mail, they 
entered the post-office in fear and suspense 
lest Mr. Clark should tell them the dog 
had been claimed. But up to the end of 
the fourth day no word of inquiry had 
been received either at the railroad station 
or at the office, and Lassie and Laddie 


What Laddie Found in the Bushes 197 

began to feel more confident about the 
chance of keeping their dear little dog. 

They had spent so much time in the 
woodshed with doggie that Farmer Jones 
had passed by with his team a number of 
times and had not seen his small friends, 
though he could hear their merry little 
voices back of the house plainly enough, 
and he had heard all about the finding of 
the dog, through Tom. 

Mrs. Spencer, too, had wondered why, 
in four days, her little new friends had not 
been to see her. And beside all that, 
the bed-time stories had been passed over 
once or twice, because Lassie and Laddie 
had preferred that the extra time, allowed 
usually for the story, should be given to 
the fondling and petting of their dog, ow- 
ing to the fear that they would n’t have 
him much longer to enjoy. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

VARIOUS HAPPENINGS 

A T last came the time when Mr. Clark 
took down the notice of the lost 
dog, and declared “ there was no need for 
any one to bother about the animal any 
longer, and that in his opinion ‘ findings ,’ 
after a reasonable time, ‘ were keepings ,’ 
and the dog ought to belong to those 
who found and mended it up,” — in which 
opinion Lassie and Laddie delightedly 
agreed with him. So Mamma told the 
children they might now consider it their 
very own, but if anybody should happen 
to come along some fine day and prove 
the real ownership, Lassie and Laddie 
must be willing to let it go. 

I98 


Various Happenings 


199 


“ Now there are three of us to play to- 
gether ! ” cried Lassie, and she and Laddie 
hugged each other and danced around 
the room in glee, singing, “ Tra-la-la-/# / 
tra-la-la-/#/ We ’ve found a doggie! how 
happy we are! ” 

They named him “ Bush” as he did n't 
seem to answer to any special name 
when they tried the experiment. “ Bush ” 
seemed just the right one because he was 
found in the bushes, and it was quite as 
agreeable to doggie, no doubt, as any 
other name would have been. 

They soon began to teach him tricks, 
and a very teachable doggie he proved to 
be. He learned to walk on his little hind 
legs across the room from Laddie to Las- 
sie, with a tiny basket held in his mouth 
(and the appetizing odor of a cookie, of 
which he was fond, right under his nose) 
and then sit up in a begging posture till 
Lassie rewarded him with the cookie he 
had so honestly carried. He learned to 


200 


Lassie and Laddie 


sit in a chair, dressed in a red jacket and 
red cap, with a soap-bubble pipe in his 
mouth, and a piece of newspaper in his 
paws. He readily learned to jump through 
Lassie’s “ hoople,” and over a cane which 
Laddie held, and at last he even learned 
to go and get into his little basket-bed 
each evening, when the children’s bed- 
time came, and put his pretty silky head 
on the pillow Mamma had made for him, 
and go to sleep “ just as though he were 
a real child,” as Lassie used to say. 

But one day little “ Bushie ” did some- 
thing which made the children dance with 
glee, and caused him to be decorated with 
all the wild flowers they could cram inside 
of his collar. And what do you suppose 
it was ? Do you remember about that 
cross old gobbler which chased Laddie 
and Lassie one day, and pecked at Lad- 
die’s legs? Well, when Bushie had ac- 
companied his little master and mistress 
on a walk one morning and had frolicked 


Various Happenings 201 

with them all along the way, they passed 
the farmyard where that old gobbler lived. 
For some time the children had not seen 
him, and had nearly forgotten him, in 
fact, but on this day the cross old fellow 
happened to be on hand, and quite in the 
mood for another chase. Perhaps he 
did n’t see Bush, or if he did he may have 
thought so dainty a little dog would be 
sure to be a coward. So he flew over 
the low stone wall, with a tremendous 
gobble, and as a matter of course, off ran 
Laddie and Lassie. 

But did Bushie run, too ? No, indeed ! 
He was no coward, dear little doggie ! 
He made a dash straight at that gobbler, 
and grabbed him by one flapping wing 
and whirled and shook him, and, without 
knowing that he was paying off an old 
score for his beloved little owners, he had 
a rough frolic which Mr. Gobbler did n’t 
enjoy, and he was glad enough when 
Bushie dropped him at last and flew after 


202 


Lassie and Laddie 


the children. Then how they laughed 
and hopped up and down and petted 
Bush and gathered flowers for him (which 
I ’m afraid were more of a bother to him 
than otherwise, as he did n’t like the feel- 
ing of a garlanded collar, you see); and 
how they hurried on to tell Mamma all 
about it! After that they loved their lit- 
tle dog more than ever ; and never again 
did Mr. Gobbler venture to attack any- 
body, no matter whom, w T ho passed along 
that way. 

When bed-time came that night, Laddie 
said they were all ready for another pic- 
ture story, and his Auntie brought forth 
the welcome envelope. Lassie drew out 
a photograph of an Irish scene — a little 
scene in an Irish village. 

“ Yes, Papa and I were there, dearie,” 
Mamma replied to the inquiring eyes 
raised to hers. 

“ There are sometimes large families all 



AN IRISH FARMHOUSE. Page 202 























































































' 





































Various Happenings 203 

crowded together in one family. Grown 
folks, little folks, piggies big and little, 
hens and chickens, often geese, too, and 
plenty of little doggies, all living as closely 
together as possible, with a good-natured 
cow, which occupies a shed adjoining the 
cabin (as the family house is called). Of 
course all this is only found in the poorer 
villages amongst the very poor class of 
people, you see.” Laddie shrugged his 
shoulders, and his Auntie said, “But there 
are beautiful cities and very fine homes 
and houses in Ireland, children, and some 
of the most refined and cultured of people 
amongst the upper classes; so don’t run 
away with the notion that this picture of 
a little Irish village is all of the beautiful 
‘ Emerald Isle,’ as Ireland is called.” 

Then mamma told her little people 
more about her journey through that 
country, and finished her entertainment 
by reading them a rhyme from the old 
scrap-book she found so handy. It was a 


204 


Lassie and Laddie 


poem of old date, but that did n't matter 
to Lassie and Laddie, of course. 

A young crossing-sweeper was Tommy McChree; 

And once on a miserable, rainy day, 

He was busy as ever a boy could be, 

Sweeping the crossing on busy Broadway. 
Ladies and gentlemen passed him by; 

“ Move on, little chap,” they were apt to reply 
When he held out his hand and asked for a penny; 
“ Get out of the way! I have n’t any.” 

So Tommy kept moving, now up and now down, 
Still busily sweeping, and hoping for luck, 
Unmindful of many a push and a frown, 

For Tommy was gifted with true Irish pluck. 

“ If it ’s sorra a taste av a supper I ’ll get,” 
Thought he, “ sure ’t won’t help me a farthing to 
fret.” 

So he swept and he swept till the crossing was 
clean 

As ever a crossing on Broadway was seen. 

Then an omnibus suddenly rattled along, 

Splashing poor Tom from his head to his feet; 
And out from the window, amid the rude throng 
Of people and horses which crowded the street, 
There fluttered a scrap. Tommy thought it was 
paper; 


Various Happenings 


205 


But, picking it up, — such a jubilant caper 
As Tommy then cut! For behold! ’twas a bill 
Quite large enough Tommy’s vest pocket to fill. 

A whole dollar bill ! Oh! his eyes opened wide 
As he turned it, and looked at it over and over; 
The heart ’neath his ragged old coat swelled with 
pride, 

And he thought, “Tom, my boy, now you're 
rolling in clover.” 

But there was the omnibus not far ahead: 

Tom knew in his heart — to his credit be said — 
That though he might want every cent of it, still 
He was n't the owner of that dollar bill. 

So putting temptation quite out of his sight, 

He ran just as fast as his short legs would go, 
With the coveted bill in his hand hidden tight, 
Straight after the ’bus that was going so slow. 
Then up on the step in a trice clambered he, 

Put his head in the door. “ This here money, you 
see, 

Fell outer the windy, — I wanted it bad \ 

But you see, *t was n't mine!" said this brave little 
lad. 

Well, you may be sure, the bill’s owner was found: 
And when little Tommy jumped back to the 
ground, 


206 


Lassie and Laddie 


That very same bill jumped back with him, too, 
And the best of it was — this time little Tom knew 
The money was his: it had come to him fairly, 
And Tom had conducted the business so squarely 
That no little sweeper on Broadway could be 
More glad and light-hearted than Tommy McChree. 

“ Who wrote that nice rhyme, Mamma?” 
asked Lassie ; “ I liked it ever so much.” 

“ Oh, the same ‘ M. D. B.,’ whoever she 
is,” laughed Mamma, “ and it was written, 
you see, before the swift electric cars 
began sweeping through New York streets, 
and when the slow omnibuses, and little 
energetic boys earning pennies at street- 
crossings, were all the fashion. Midgets 
like you and Laddie don’t know anything 
about those days, and that is where ‘ grown- 
ttps' have the advantage, you see.” She 
laughingly put out the lights, and bade 
the children snuggle down for sleep, and 
with her loving kisses on their sweet little 
lips Lassie and Laddie sailed off to 
Dreamland. 



CHAPTER XIX 

THE “ FRESH-AIRS ” AGAIN 

T AD DIE’S visit was nearing its close 
by this time, and Lassie began to 
wonder what she should do without him, 
when the dreaded day of “ good-bye ” 
should arrive. 

Laddie’s little brow also showed puck- 
erings of anxious thought, as he counted 
the few days remaining of Lassie’s com- 
panionship. He was being “ pulled ” — 
as he called it — in two ways, you see, for 
he longed to see his Mamma and Papa 
quite as much as he wished to stay longer 
with his dearly loved Auntie and little 
cousin, and so, when Auntie one morning 
asked why he was so quiet, and wondered 


207 


208 


Lassie and Laddie 


if his head was aching, he explained that 
it was n’t his head, but that his thoughts 
ached, ’cause he had two kinds of “ sorry" 
inside of him, and he could n’t tell which was 
the easiest to bear. Auntie guessed very 
readily the true state of affairs, and smil- 
ingly advised the little cousins to put off 
the grief of parting until the parting 
came, and reminded them that there were 
yet some days left them in which to have 
a good time together, and they would be 
wise, that very moment, to run out and 
play in the sunshine, instead of sitting 
side by side there on the top step of the 
staircase, wearing such sober little faces 
that even Bushie wondered what was the 
matter all of a sudden. So they accepted 
her good advice, and presently were chas- 
ing each other merrily around the garden. 
Suddenly Lassie cried excitedly : 

“ Oh, look ! here comes the stage, and 
it’s full of those ‘Fresh-airs’ again! see 
’em, Laddie?” 


The “ Fresh-airs ” Again 209 

The children ran out upon the road, 
and as the stage passed them, the chil- 
dren within called out to Laddie and Las- 
sie, waving their hands and shouting, 
“ Goo’ bye ! Goo’ bye ! ” 

“You going back to the city?” called 
Laddie. 

“Yes,” replied one of the little passen- 
gers, “ but we don’t want to ! it ’s lots 
nicer here ! ” 

“ We ’ve had a jolly time, an’ we said 
three cheers an’ tiger-r-r to Mrs. Spencer 
when we drove away ! ” called another, 
while Laddie and Lassie were trotting 
along the road beside the stage. Sud- 
denly Laddie missed Sammy. 

“ Hello ! where ’s Sammy ? ” he asked. 

“Ho! Sam, he ’s luckier ’n clovers!” 
replied one of the boys, as he knelt on 
the seat and put his head out of the win- 
dow. “ He's no ‘Fresh-air’ any more, 
Sam ain’t, ’cause that hay-ride man ’s gone 
an’ kep’ him himself ! ” 


2 10 


Lassie and Laddie 


Before Laddie and Lassie could fairly 
take in the unexpected piece of news, the 
stage-driver leaned over from his high 
perch and said : 

“ Come, come now, you youngsters, 
quit yer yellin’ an’ scat ! I ’ve driv’ slow 
to obleege ye ’bout ’s long as I ’ve time 
ter waste.” 

Then he flourished his long whip, 
clucked to his horses, and away went the 
stage, ricketting, racketting over the road, 
and a chorus of childish voices trailing 
“goo’ byes” out upon the air behind it. 

Laddie and Lassie turned homeward in 
a state of wonder and delight. 

Could it be really true that dear old 
Farmer Jones was going to keep Sammy, 
like the kind man in the rhyme-story ? 
They could hardly wait for a chance to 
see the kind old man, and ask all about it. 
They lost all interest in further play about 
the garden, and ran to tell the dear 
Mamma the news that “ Mrs. Spencer’s 


The “Fresh-airs” Again 21 1 

‘ Fresh-airs ’ were going home, and that 
Sammy had stayed behind ’cause Farmer 
Jones had liked him, and was going to be 
like the kind man in the rhyme-story.” 

Of course Mamma was greatly inter- 
ested, and remembering that Mr. Jones 
drove by every afternoon to get his mail 
from the office, she advised the little peo- 
ple to be on the watch for him, and per- 
haps they would see Sammy also. 

So when, in due time, the farm wagon 
came along, with Farmer Jones and little 
Sammy seated on top of some bags of 
grain, and the little “Fresh-air’s” mouth 
stretched wide in grins of delight as he 
held the reins (and felt as important as a 
boy of his age usually feels when “boss- 
ing” a horse and wagon), Laddie and 
Lassie shouted and laughed, and climbed 
up on the grain bags with alacrity, you 
may be sure. 

“You ’re just like the man in the 
rhyme ! ” screamed Laddie, and at the 


212 


Lassie and Laddie 


same time Lassie’s shrill little voice was 
exclaiming, “ It ’s all true after all, is n’t 
it ! Oh, I ’m so glad ! ” 

To both remarks the farmer laughingly 
replied: “ Wal’ now, there ain’t a doubt 
but the rhyme did the thing, Laddie, an’ 
I ain’t goin’ ter claim a mite o’ credit for 
startin’ this here business of holdin’ on to 
Sam. An’ Sam, he oughter take off his 
cap to the woman who writ that there 
rhyme-story, don’t you think so ? ” 

“Hurrah!” yelled Sammy, pulling his 
ragged cap from his head, and waving it ; 
“ hurrah ! 'n' three cheers for the rhyme ’n’ 
the kind lady who read it to Laddie and 
Lassie ! Hi ! Hi ! ” 

Laddie and Lassie joined in the cheer- 
ing, and three little tongues and one big 
tongue wagged and wagged as the wagon 
rolled over the road, and Sammy held 
the reins. 

“ We ’re goin’ to buy some new clothes, 
ain’t we, Sam boy, when we git to the 


213 


The “ Fresh-airs ” Again 

store. Can’t have my boy goin’ about 
lookin’ out at the knees ’n’ elbows, — a 
bran’ new boy I ’ve jest got, too ! So 
we ’re goin’ to lay in a suit or two, ain’t 
we ? ” 

“We jest are /” replied Sam, returning 
the good old farmer’s affectionate glance 
with a smile of gratitude. “ An’ I ain’t 
the kind of chap that ’s goin’ ter forgit 
who ’s been good to a poor little ‘ Fresh- 
air ’ feller, either ! ” 

“ Well, Lassie and I are just as glad as 
glad can be ! ” said Laddie, “ and I think 
it ’s the splendidest fun I ever heard of ! 
I ’m going home soon, and I ’ll tell my 
Papa and Mamma all about it, and I ’ll 
never forget you, Mr. Jones, for being so 
kind as to take a hint from that rhyme.” 

“We’re ’most at the post-office now,” 
chimed in Lassie, “ and I guess we ’ll keep 
on and get Mamma’s letters, though we 
did n’t s’pose we would stay on this wagon 
more ’n a minute, did we Laddie ? ” 


214 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ No, and we have n’t even got anything 
on our heads ! ” replied Laddie. “ But I 
don’t care ! we ’ll get our letters all the 
same, and see Sammy get his new clothes, 
in the bargain! Hi! for Mr. Jones and 
Sammy ! and hi ! for the rhyme and the 
‘ Fresh-airs ’ and all ! ” 

When at last the post-office was reached, 
the letters delivered, and the grain bags 
disposed of, they all went to the store 
across the way, and in a very few moments 
little Sammy marched out of the door, 
feeling proud and happy in a nice suit of 
gray upon his small body, and a cap to 
match upon his head. With his hands in 
his pockets (where the kind old farmer 
had dropped a few pennies, “ so that sonny 
should have some use of the pockets,” he 
said), Sammy walked up and down, waiting 
or Farmer Jones to finish some errands 
on hand, and enjoying the pleasure with 
which Lassie and Laddie beheld him in 
his new attire. 


The “Fresh-airs” Again 215 

After that the party drove back, and 
presently the bareheaded little cousins 
were dropped at their own door, with fresh 
news for Mamma, and a world of excite- 
ment over Sammy’s good-fortune in their 
little hearts. 




CHAPTER XX 

laddie’s “ GOOD-BYE DAYS” 

“ IT ERE ’S a letter from Mamma, 
A Auntie ! ” called Laddie a day or 
two later, as he and Lassie ran through 
the garden to where Mrs. Kearney stood 
training a vine along the lattice of the 
little arbor. 

“Well, then I suppose you’ll be im- 
patient to hear it,” she replied, dropping 
scissors and twine and sitting down beside 
the children on the rustic bench at hand. 
Opening the letter she read the wish of 
the Mamma in the city that her little lad 
should return to his own home-nest on the 
following Saturday, and he would find a 
very impatient and loving Mamma await- 
216 


Laddie’s “ Good-bye Days ” 217 

ing him at the depot in New York. The 
letter contained a great deal more beside, 
— various matters of interest for Auntie, 
and so on, — but the children listened to 
the first part of it only, and their little faces 
betrayed the thoughts of each small heart. 
Laddie’s “ two kinds of sorry,” began their 
work again, and he moved nearer to 
Lassie. The little girl had but one kind 
of sorrow over the news, and that was so 
large a kind that it seemed to her she 
“ could rit bear it, one single bit ! ” 

But there was no help for it. Laddie 
must obey his Mamma, as she always 
obeyed hers, and all they could do mean- 
while would be to keep just as near each 
other and be just as happy and loving as 
could be, and there were three days left 
them still for companionship. 

“ I ’m going straight to say good-bye to 
Mrs. Spencer,” declared Laddie, pres- 
ently. “ Can’t I, Auntie ? ” 

“ I ’m going, too ! ” echoed Lassie, 


2 1 8 


Lassie and Laddie 


“ only / don’t have to say anything but 
just ‘ How do you do ?’ to her.” 

“Well, I 'm glad of that,” laughed 
Mamma, “ for I should not want to lose 
my sunbeam Lassie, as well as my sun- 
beam Laddie, I ’m sure.” 

“ Can we go, Auntie, right away now?” 
continued Laddie, full of his desire to say 
good-bye to Mrs. Spencer, and crowd out 
the disagreeable feeling in regard to leav- 
ing Lassie so soon, even though in his little 
heart, hiding deep down where nobody 
could guess it, he had a real homesick 
longing for the clasp of his own Mamma’s 
arms and his dear Papa’s strong hug, 
and was therefore not sorry to go home, 
though he was sorry to leave Lassie. 

“Well, run along then, both of you,” 
said his Auntie, “ and don’t be gone long, 
for it is nearing ‘ hungry time,’ you know.” 

So the little folks started off, and 
reached Mrs. Spencer’s gateway in good 
time. As they went up the path towards 


Laddie’s “Good-bye Days” 219 

the piazza a loud voice screamed “ Howdy 
do?” 

Nobody was visible, and the children 
wondered who spoke. “ Howdy d-0-0-0 ? ” 
rang out the voice again, and Lassie 
whispered: 

“ I ’spose she ’s peeking through the win- 
dow and sees us, but I never knew Mrs. 
Spencer had such a funny, horrid voice 
before, did you ? ” 

“ I don’t ’spose it ’s Mrs. Spencer at 
all,” replied Laddie, “ ’cause she could nt 
have such a queer voice! It ’s only — I 
guess it ’s her cook, don’t you ? ” 

“ Howdy-howdy do-do-do — ha ! ha ! ” 

By this time the children had reached 
the piazza, and the greeting and harsh 
laughter seemed to come from over their 
heads. 

They looked up, and there was a large 
gray parrot, swinging by one claw and 
eyeing the little visitors with curiosity. 

“ Ho ! it ’s that old parrot ! ” exclaimed 


220 


Lassie and Laddie 


Laddie. “ I ’ve seen ’em in a bird-store at 
home, when Mamma and I were out. I ’ve 
seen monkeys, too, and red and green 
parrots ’n’ all sorts of birds. But I never 
heard ’em say ‘ howdy do ’ before.” 

Just then Mrs. Spencer appeared, and 
after greeting the little people, she lifted 
the cage down, and explained that she had 
just received Mrs. Polly as a gift from a 
friend, and found her quite a sociable 
companion. 

“ She sings, and laughs, and cries, and 
coaxes, and scolds, and whispers — and in 
fact does so many things that are almost 
human that sometimes it is hard to realize 
she is only a gray polly parrot.” 

Lassie and Laddie talked to Polly, and 
presently she descended from her perch, 
and coming close to the cage bars, low- 
ered her head, lifted her tuft of feathers, 
and said, in a wheedling tone of voice, 
“ Scratch Polly’s head ! ” 

That made the children laugh, and Las- 


Laddie’s “ Good-bye Days 


221 


sie put her soft little finger through the 
bars before Mrs. Spencer could warn her 
not to do so — and, alas ! Polly proved 
treacherous, and giving the little trusting 
finger a sharp nip, climbed back upon her 
perch and laughed heartlessly. 

The quick tears sprang to Lassie’s eyes, 
for the “ nip ” had been painful, though 
fortunately not hard enough to break the 
tender skin. 

Laddie lifted the wounded hand and 
gallantly kissed it, and Mrs. Spencer 
speedily wrapped the finger in a healing 
lotion, while Lassie, ashamed of her tears, 
winked them laughingly off of her lashes. 

“ Did you ever hear the rhyme about 
‘ Polly and Jocko’ ?” asked Mrs. Spencer 
presently. “ It goes this way 

A big green parrot was Polly, 

As green as a parrot could be. 

A frolicksome monkey was Jocko, 

And full of his tricks was he. 

He did n’t like Polly, oh, no, not a bit, 


222 


Lassie and Laddie 


And Polly for Jocko cared never a whit; 

Each kept a “ lookout ” when the other was near, 
For each of the other was living in fear. 

But Jocko one morning stole slyly away 
A part of her breakfast from Polly; 

He meant it, perhaps, to be only in play, 

But Poll did n’t think it so jolly, 

So all of a sudden she caught Jocko’s tail, 

And the pinch of her bill made the poor fellow wail. 
But while she was laughing, he up with his paw 
And gave her a hurricane right on her jaw 
Which tumbled her over, and had she worn teeth 
A toothache I ’m sure she ’d have had. 

But she climb’d to her perch, and in language her 
own, 

Complained that her headache was bad. 

After that, Mrs. Polly and Jocko, you see, 

Found by keeping apart they could better agree. 

“ Now, I think this little finger is quite 
well again/’ continued Mrs. Spencer, “ and 
there s a basket of fruit in the sitting- 
room I ’m sure you will both enjoy. 
Come in, dear children.” 

While they were enjoying the fruit, 
Laddie stated his errand to Mrs. Spencer, 


Laddie’s “ Good-bye Days ” 223 

and she felt sorry to learn that he was to 
leave so soon. They had a nice little 
talk together, and then it was time for 
the walk home. 

Mrs. Spencer took Laddie very close 
in her arms as she kissed him good-bye, 
and took a long look at the sweet boyish 
face, and the brown eyes so like those of 
the little son whom she had given back to 
God. 

“ Good-bye, my bonny Laddie,” she 
said; “ don’t forget me, dear, and when 
you come again, be sure and let me know 
it right away.” 

Then she kissed Lassie lovingly, and 
said she hoped the little girl would remem- 
ber that there would always be a welcome 
for her at the Spencer cottage ; and at 
last the children were wending their way 
homeward. When they were telling about 
their visit to Mrs. Spencer later on, and 
Laddie said he wished he had something 
very, very nice that he could give his 


2 24 


Lassie and Laddie 


friend for a good-bye gift, his Auntie had 
a sudden thought pop into her head. 

“ I have a plan, Laddie,” she said; “ I’m 
wondering whether it is a good one ! ” 

The children were ready for it, no mat- 
ter what it might be, for, as Lassie ex- 
claimed, “ Mamma’s plans are always the 
very bestest and nicest in the world ! ” so 
they were sure this new one would prove 
no exception. 

•‘Well ! how would you like to have a 
nice little photograph taken, Laddie, and 
give it to Mrs. Spencer? Think she 
would like that ? ” 

Laddie jumped at the idea, but consid- 
ered the plan would not be quite perfect 
unless his dear Lassie’s picture was taken 
with his own. 

“ She loves Lassie, too, you see, 
Auntie,” he said, “ and we ’ve always 
been together at her house, and I ’m 
sure ’s sure can be that she’ 11 want a 
photograph of us both together.” 


Laddie’s “Good-bye Days” 225 

Auntie quite agreed with him, and Las- 
sie was more than delighted. The idea 
had proven — like all others her Mamma 
had thought of — just “ the bestest in the 
world ! ” and it was decided that the pic- 
tures must be taken that very afternoon. 

“ Shall we wear our Sunday clothes, 
dearie Mamma ? ” asked Lassie. But 
Mamma thought Mrs. Spencer would be 
better pleased if she could have the lit- 
tle people before her always in their usual 
“ every-day dress,” — Lassie with her shade 
hat on (or off, it did n’t matter which) 
and Laddie with his little Scotch cap 
perched back on his curly brown head, 
and no attempt at any “ dress-up for the 
occasion.” 

So right after luncheon Mamma Kear- 
ney and her two little folks started for the 
village, and when they returned the after- 
noon was well over, and the errand had 
been satisfactorily accomplished. 

Little Bushie — whom we have been 


226 


Lassie and Laddie 


neglecting in our story for awhile, but 
who has been holding his own place, just 
as usual, in the affairs of his family — 
came racing up from the meadow, where 
he had been having some fun with the 
squirrels in the grove of trees, and cud- 
dling down beside Laddie, laid his smooth 
head against the little lad’s knee. 

“ Now here’s another thing,” said Lad- 
die, “ that makes me have such a sorrowness 
’bout leaving this lovely place. Lassie 
owns Bushie same ’s / do, and she don’t 
want him to go ’way, and I don’t want 
him not to go ’way, and — and — say, 
Auntie,” — he got up, and with a wistful 
glance at Lassie, went over and whispered 
in Auntie’s ear. 

Alas! his whisper was too loud, in its 
eagerness to be a secret, and Lassie heard 
him ask her mother “ if she would please 
coax Lassie to give him her half of 
Bushie.” 

Lassie’s heart gave a jump. Part with 


Laddie’s “ Good-bye Days ” 227 

her half of the dear, beautiful doggie ? 
Let Bushie go home with Laddie ? Oh, 
no, she could n’t do it — never! never! 

But before she could run across the 
room to Mamma’s side, where Laddie still 
stood, her heart relented, and she knew 
that she loved her darling Laddie most 
of everything on earth next to Mamma ! 
oh, a hundred thousand times more than 
she loved Bushie, who was only a dog, 
after all ! So she exclaimed bravely : 

“ I heard every single thing you whis- 
pered to Mamma, Laddie Lee ! and so 
you need n’t think you ’re having the 
least mite of a secret from me — aha ! 
aha ! ” 

Laddie looked surprised, and had n’t a 
word to say, but Lassie ran and threw her 
arms about him. 

“ Course you can have my half of 
Bushie ! ” she exclaimed, “ for even if I 
do love him so, I love you Laddie, best of 
anything in the world next to Mamma — 


228 


Lassie and Laddie 


and so I ’ll give you Bushie all for your 
very own, there now ! ” 

Laddie returned Lassie’s hug, but felt 
that he ought to be as generous as she 
had been, and therefore, though he wanted 
Bushie very much, he repented of his 
whispered request to Auntie, and replied : 

“ No ! I’m sorry I began to be selfish, 
and I shall give you my half of him, Las- 
sie ; and you won’t let him forget ’bout me, 
will you ? ” 

Just as the little girl began to protest 
against that, Auntie interrupted with the 
suggestion that Laddie’s Mamma might 
have something to say about the matter, 
and Laddie would better wait till he re- 
ceived permission from her to have a dog. 

“ Sure enough! I forgot all about that,” 
said Laddie; “but even if she says ‘yes’ 
when I ask her, I ’m not going to be a 
selfish boy any more ’n Lassie was n’t go- 
ing to be selfish.” 

“Very well, then, we ’ll let the matter 


Laddies “ Good-bye Days” 229 

stand; and after you find out how Mamma 
feels about it, dear, you can let me know, 
and we will see how we can divide Bushie 
between you,” said his Auntie laughing. 

The children laughed, too. “ Give me 
his tail \ Auntie, ’cause I like to see it wag,” 
cried Laddie. “ And give me his head, 
Mamma, ’cause I like to see his lovely 
eyes,” added Lassie; and Bushie, knowing 
that some fun was going on, barked joy- 
ously and capered about both his little 
owners. 




CHAPTER XXI 

ABOUT A SCENE IN NAPLES 

H dear! Oh dear! ” sighed Lassie, as 



V “ y she opened her eyes on the morn- 
ing of Laddie’s “ good-bye day.” “ Oh 
dear me ! Laddie ’s going away to-day, 
and it ’s going to be dreadful as can be 
for a little girl like me ! ” 

“ Why, Lassie! ” exclaimed Mamma, 
“were n’t you quite a happy little girl 
with Mamma before your birthday pres- 
ent came? You ’re not very complimen- 
tary to Mamma, are you ? ” 

Lassie’s little arms went up and around 
the neck of the dear mother who had just 
awakened her with a morning kiss. 

“ O Mamma, you know I should 


230 


About a Scene in Naples 231 

surely die right off if I were to lose you! 
I s’pose I did n’t mean quite all I said 
’bout Laddie’s going away, but — but he ’s 
such a dear boy to have around, is n’t he ? 
And he ’s going to be lonely, too. Are n’t 
you sorry for him ? ” 

Mamma laughed. “Yes, very sorry, 
dearie, and so we must cheer up and make 
things bright and lively for a poor little 
Laddie who is going to such a sad place 
as his own home, where his own Mamma 
and Papa love him so and are waiting to 
see him.” 

Lassie looked up quickly. “ Oh, you ’re 
just making fun of me, Mamma ! ” she said; 
“your eyes are full of twinklings.” She 
laughed with her mother, and was out of 
bed in a minute, dressing as fast as 
possible. 

“ Where ’s Laddie now?” she asked. 

“ Busily packing his small dress-suit 
case, and feeling so important over it that 
he won’t let me help him. Come now, 


232 


Lassie and Laddie 


dear; it is breakfast-time, and you must 
be quite ready in five minutes.” She 
went to Laddie’s room and told him the 
same thing, then she went down-stairs, 
wiping a tear or two from her eyes, for 
she felt as sorry as Lassie was feeling 
over the departure of the little nephew so 
dear to her. He was to leave in the after- 
noon by the stage which passed the cot- 
tage at two o’clock. 

Presently the little people appeared, 
and in Laddie’s hand was the envelope 
which had contained the bed-time story 
photographs. 

“ See, Auntie ! ” he exclaimed. “ I found 
it on the floor by your table. I guess the 
wind blew it off. But it ’s got just one 
more picture in it; see ? ” 

“ And you can tell me about it to-night, 
you know, can’t you, Mamma ? ” asked 
Lassie. “ Only it won’t sound so good to 
listen to with no Laddie to hear it with 


me. 


About a Scene in Naples 233 

“ Why need we wait for bed-time, Las- 
sie ?” questioned Mamma. “ Laddie shall 
listen with you to this last picture, which 
is the * good-bye ’ picture of the bunch; 
and I ’ll tell you about it after breakfast.” 
That was good news for the children, and 
they finished their meal in short order. 

“ Now then, Auntie dear,” cried Laddie, 
“ here ’s a comfor’ble chair right on the 
porch all ready for the kind lady who ’s 
going to tell us a story ’bout this funny 
picture. Come, please hurry a little bit ! ” 

The picture showed a cart drawn by an 
ox and a horse. The cart seemed full to 
overflowing with children, and one or two 
men and women, and the scene was a 
street in Naples, Italy. 

“ I never saw a cow and horse pulling 
together at a wagon like this picture,” 
said Lassie ; and Laddie added that he 
would n’t want to see it, either, “ it looked 
so mixed up.” 

Mamma laughed. “That ‘mixed up’ 


234 Lassie and Laddie 

state of affairs is pretty common in Na- 
ples,” she said; “and I bought this pic- 
ture on the day I happened to see just 
this very thing.” She seated herself in 
the chair provided for her by Laddie, and 
continued : “ It was a sort of festival day 

in one of the outside quarters of the city, 
and this cart — or one like it (for this 
picture was, I suppose, taken on a past 
similar occasion) — was filled with children 
who were carrying musical instruments of 
various kinds, and were kept in order by 
one or two older ones, one of whom was 
driving the odd team such as you see 
here. But that was not the only time I 
saw such a comical sight, for whenever I 
took a walk, or a drive, I was sure to meet 
a cart of some kind drawn by either a cow 
and a horse, or an ox and a horse, like 
this, and very often a little bit of a donkey 
and an enormous big horse which could 
almost have carried little donkey on its 
back. Once I saw a still funnier sight, 
















' 









About a Scene in Naples 235 

and that was a little cow — a dear little 
brown one that you and Lassie could have 
played with — and right along side of it 
was a woman — a strong woman, who 
could almost have pulled the cart alone. 
But she was helping her little cow by 
pulling on a rope attached to the cart, 
and with her red shoulder shawl, her short 
red skirt, and her black hair flying all 
about her head, she made a queer picture 
— she, her cow, and her cart, which carried 
a pile of cabbages — I can assure you. 
Another comical thing I saw while there 
— and you ’ll laugh when I tell you what 
it was. The Italians are very super- 
stitious — that is a certain class of them 
are. They believe in evil spirits and all 
such funny notions as ‘ evil eyes,’ and ill 
fortune and good fortune depending upon 
certain foolish little rites, such as you ’ll 
understand better when you ’re older. 
Well, I saw a number of horses, donkeys, 
and even cows, coming along the streets, 


236 


Lassie and Laddie 


either drawing carts, or bearing in large 
baskets, fastened at each side of their sad- 
dles, and called ‘ Panniers,' sundry burdens 
of great weight ; or often carrying only a 
man or woman in the saddle. But upon 
each animal there appeared a bunch or 
tuft of hair, or fur, which stuck up straight 
as an arrow, and looked funny enough as 
the animal waddled along. Such sights 
would appear very strange here, would n’t 
they, in our country ? But after all, our 
ways, no doubt, seem as odd and queer to 
foreigners as their ways do to us some- 
times. There, now, my story is finished, 
and you two midgets would better run 
away and play, and enjoy your last frolic 
together before lunch-time.” 




CHAPTER XXII 

“ GOOD-BYE ! ” 

IN a very few moments the old stage 
4 would come rumbling along, for it was 
very near two o ’clock now, and the lunch- 
eon hour was long past. Lassie and Lad- 
die were sitting as closely together as 
possible on the top step of the porch 
under the vines. Their small hands 
were clasped, and their sweet little faces 
were very sober in expression. In the 
hall behind them the old clock was tick- 
ing its seconds and minutes away as fast 
as its pendulum would wag back and forth, 
and Lassie wished it would all of a sudden 
stop , for every tick seemed to spell out 
the mournful sentence — “ Lad-die ’s-going- 
237 


238 


Lassie and Laddie 


off-to-day!” Waiting beside the gate, 
all strapped and tagged, was Laddie ’s 
little dress-suit case, and Bushie sat near, 
keeping a watchful and rather mournful 
guard over it, for I think he had strong 
suspicions that something very unpleasant 
was about to happen. 

Presently, Auntie came from the dining- 
room with a pretty straw lunch -basket 
nicely filled for Laddie’s “hungry time” on 
the cars. She laid her hand caressingly on 
the curly head of her dear little nephew, 
and said, “ I want you to tell Mamma that 
you ’ve been a great big comfort to Lassie 
and Auntie, darling, and the best little 
visitor in the world. Tell her you have 
kept your promise to be ‘ extra good,’ 
and here ’s a kiss to carry safely to 
Mamma.” 

Just as Laddie received the precious 
gift for his mother, his quick ears caught 
the sound of the rumble of wheels. 

“ Oh, here comes that old stage ! ” he 


“ Good-bye! 


2 39 


cried, while Lassie jumped up excitedly 
and held her little cousin ’s arm tightly. 

“It comes so soon,” she complained ; 
“ we have n’t half had time to say good- 
bye ! Oh dear ! ” 

But the stage was now at the door, and 
the driver was calling out, “ Hi, there ! 
all ready?” And the next minute the 
small dress-suit case was lifted to the top 
of the coach, and little Laddie was receiv- 
ing his good-bye hugs and kisses from 
Lassie and Auntie, before the bony old 
stage nags whirled him out of sight. 

Of course there were some tears to be 
winked out of both the brown and the 
blue pairs of eyes as the distance between 
Lassie at the cottage gate and Laddie on 
the leather-covered seat of the old depot 
stage widened more and more. But when 
the little boy began to look forwdrd, and 
not backward any longer, and pictured 
the glad meeting so soon to take place 
between his own sweet Mamma and his 


240 Lassie and Laddie 

loving Papa the tears disappeared from 
his eyes and a little dimple grew in his 
rosy cheek. 

He could feel already, in imagination, 
the warm clasp and loving kiss of his 
mother, when the train would reach the 
Grand Central Depot in New York, and 
the conductor would see him safely out 
on the platform where Mamma and Papa 
would be waiting for him. He could 
feel, also, the pressure of his father’s arm, 
and could hear the merrry “ Hello ! here ’s 
our little man again ! ” which was Papa’s 
way of greeting him after any little ab- 
sence. So Laddie “ cheered up ” very 
rapidly and on rolled the stage towards 
his own dear home again. 

Meanwhile our little Lassie had suc- 
ceeded in swallowing the lumps in her 
throat and Mamma had kissed away the 
tear diamonds which had sparkled on the 
lashes of her blue eyes, and now she was 
sitting beside Bushie, petting the little 


“ Good-bye! 


241 


doggie both for Laddie and for herself. 
44 We ’re going to miss him lots and lots, 
Bushie dear,” she said, 44 but when I am 
the birthday present for him in one more 
year, jus’ as likely as not Auntie will let 
me take you with me (if Mamma is will- 
ing) and we ’ll have such fun at Laddie’s 
house, you ’ll see if we don’t !” 

So now my story is done, and unless 
something should prevent, I can tell you 
sometime a little more about our Lassie 
and Laddie, and how Lassie’s visit to 
New York turned out. 

16 


THE END 




















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